The spiny bollworm, Earias insulana (Boisduval) (Lep.: Nolidae) is one of the
most economically important pests of cotton in Iran. It is widely distributed in the
world, but not in America (Hajatmand et al. 2014). The larva of the spiny bollworm
enters the tender shoots at the beginning of the growing season and causes the shoots
to dry. At the later generations, the larva enters the bolls and squares resulted in the
dropping of small squares or bad opening of ripening squares. There have been
recorded 23 species of the superfamily Ichneumonoidea and 25 species of the
superfamily Chalcidoidea associates with the pest all over the world (Yu et al.
2012). In Iran, Bracon lefroyi (Dudgeon & Gough) was the first known parasitoid
of the pest (Hussain et al. 1976). Habrobracon hebetor was another reported
parasitoid of the pest (Gadallah and Ghahari 2015; Modarres-Awal 1997).
Diamondback Moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L. (Lep.: Plutellidae) is one of the
most important pests of crucifer crops throughout the world. This pest shows a high
resistance to different classes of insecticides which makes that chemical control of
diamondback moth difficult in many regions. Thus, many attempts have been
conducted to control the pest using biological control agents. There have been
reported about 120 species of Ichneumonoidea associated with P. xylostella in the
world (Yu et al. 2012). So far, six species of the families Braconidae and
Ichneumonidae have been reported as parasitoids of this pest in Iran (Table 7.6).
Cauliflower fields of the south of Tehran were searched in a faunistic survey of DBM
parasitoids and their parasitism percentages were estimated based on different
regions and sampling dates (Hasanshahi et al. 2012a). In a comprehensive study,
nine parasitoid species of DBM larvae and pupae have been reported in four regions
which among them Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) reported from Alborz, Isfahan
and Khuzestan provinces was dominant species and could be used as a potential
candidate against DBM in biocontrol projects (Pourian et al. 2015). Diadegma
anurum (Thomson) is also collected from DBM larvae (Golizadeh et al.
2008a, b, c) which is a misidentification of D. semiclausum (Karimzadeh and
Broad 2013).
Bioecology, demography and potential of the most important braconid and
ichneumonid parasitoid of P. xylostella have been studied for biological control
program and integrated management of the pest in Iran (Afunizadeh et al. 2010;
Alizadeh et al. 2011; Ebrahimi et al. 2013; Fathi et al. 2012; Heidary et al. 2012;
Karimzadeh Esfahani et al. 2013; Kazemzadeh et al. 2014). Fathi et al. (2012)
showed that using resistant cultivars integrating with its ichneumonid parasitoid
Diadegma majale (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) would result in effective and sustainable
control of DBM in canola fields. D. semiclausum is another important parasitoid of
DBM in Iran. Several researches have been carried on about the ecology and
efficiency of this parasitoid to control DBM. In one of them, it has been shown
that D. semiclausum preferred third instar larvae of P. xylostella than other larval
stages (Pourian et al. 2013a). This study provides hints for the mass rearing of
D. semiclausum on the laboratory scale. Moreover, the reproductive biology of
D. semiclausum showed that this parasitoid could be considered as a synovigenic
species (Pourian et al. 2013b). The crucifer-DBM-Cotesia tritrophic system has been
studied deeply both in the greenhouse and under real field conditions and it has been
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
269
most economically important pests of cotton in Iran. It is widely distributed in the
world, but not in America (Hajatmand et al. 2014). The larva of the spiny bollworm
enters the tender shoots at the beginning of the growing season and causes the shoots
to dry. At the later generations, the larva enters the bolls and squares resulted in the
dropping of small squares or bad opening of ripening squares. There have been
recorded 23 species of the superfamily Ichneumonoidea and 25 species of the
superfamily Chalcidoidea associates with the pest all over the world (Yu et al.
2012). In Iran, Bracon lefroyi (Dudgeon & Gough) was the first known parasitoid
of the pest (Hussain et al. 1976). Habrobracon hebetor was another reported
parasitoid of the pest (Gadallah and Ghahari 2015; Modarres-Awal 1997).
Diamondback Moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L. (Lep.: Plutellidae) is one of the
most important pests of crucifer crops throughout the world. This pest shows a high
resistance to different classes of insecticides which makes that chemical control of
diamondback moth difficult in many regions. Thus, many attempts have been
conducted to control the pest using biological control agents. There have been
reported about 120 species of Ichneumonoidea associated with P. xylostella in the
world (Yu et al. 2012). So far, six species of the families Braconidae and
Ichneumonidae have been reported as parasitoids of this pest in Iran (Table 7.6).
Cauliflower fields of the south of Tehran were searched in a faunistic survey of DBM
parasitoids and their parasitism percentages were estimated based on different
regions and sampling dates (Hasanshahi et al. 2012a). In a comprehensive study,
nine parasitoid species of DBM larvae and pupae have been reported in four regions
which among them Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) reported from Alborz, Isfahan
and Khuzestan provinces was dominant species and could be used as a potential
candidate against DBM in biocontrol projects (Pourian et al. 2015). Diadegma
anurum (Thomson) is also collected from DBM larvae (Golizadeh et al.
2008a, b, c) which is a misidentification of D. semiclausum (Karimzadeh and
Broad 2013).
Bioecology, demography and potential of the most important braconid and
ichneumonid parasitoid of P. xylostella have been studied for biological control
program and integrated management of the pest in Iran (Afunizadeh et al. 2010;
Alizadeh et al. 2011; Ebrahimi et al. 2013; Fathi et al. 2012; Heidary et al. 2012;
Karimzadeh Esfahani et al. 2013; Kazemzadeh et al. 2014). Fathi et al. (2012)
showed that using resistant cultivars integrating with its ichneumonid parasitoid
Diadegma majale (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) would result in effective and sustainable
control of DBM in canola fields. D. semiclausum is another important parasitoid of
DBM in Iran. Several researches have been carried on about the ecology and
efficiency of this parasitoid to control DBM. In one of them, it has been shown
that D. semiclausum preferred third instar larvae of P. xylostella than other larval
stages (Pourian et al. 2013a). This study provides hints for the mass rearing of
D. semiclausum on the laboratory scale. Moreover, the reproductive biology of
D. semiclausum showed that this parasitoid could be considered as a synovigenic
species (Pourian et al. 2013b). The crucifer-DBM-Cotesia tritrophic system has been
studied deeply both in the greenhouse and under real field conditions and it has been
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
269