During a survey on the damaged elms in Almahdi, Shaghayegh, Taslihat and Magidiyeh parks in the summer of 2010, the larvae and pupae of a Bucculatrix species were collected. After emerging of the adult specimens, they were determined as Bucculatrix ulmifoliae M. Hering, 1931. As far as our knowledge, five Bucculatrix species are reported from Iran so far: Bucculatrix ulmella, 1848 which is reported on elm tree in Tehran region, B. pomifoliella Clemens, ? that is collected in Khorasan region on apple tree, and the three species namely B. iranica Deschka, 1981, B. endospiralis Deschka, 1981 and B. pectinella Deschka, 1981 which are collected from the south of Iran and introduced as new species by Deschka (1981). This is the first report of Bucculatrix ulmifoliae from Iran. During recent years this species has caused extreme damages on the elm trees in some parts of Tehran.

Background and objectives: Ducrosia anethifolia (commonly known as ‘Moshgak’) is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is distributed in the southern regions of Iran, particularly in Fars province. This plant is traditionally used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Its essential oil has shown significant insecticidal activity against certain date palm pests. Additionally, it possesses antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and memory-enhancing properties. To date, no reports have documented insect pest activity or damage on this plant. However, during a study in the southern regions of Fars province, extensive larval activity of an insect species was observed on D. anethifolia. This report aims to identify the insect species and examine its biological characteristics.Methodology: Field studies were conducted in March and April 2021, and continued in the following years, in the natural habitats of D. anethifolia in the Khor region (335 km southeast of Shiraz, Fars province). Larvae were observed feeding extensively on the young leaves, stem tips, and flower buds of the plant. These larvae were collected at different developmental stages and reared in the laboratory until they reached adulthood. The adult insects were then identified.Results: The adult insect was identified as Papilio machaon Linnaeus (LEPIDOPTERA: Papilionidae). The larvae belonged to the first generation, which became active in Larestan from March onwards. No signs of a second generation were observed during the region’s hot summer. In spring, when the first generation was active, 30–40% of the plants were infested, particularly in the early morning or evening. It is important to note that this plant is naturally distributed in a sparse pattern. The insect was consistently observed on D. anethifolia over multiple years. In certain remote areas where perennial plants with thick roots were present, larval infestations were more frequent. Papilio machaon is widely distributed across North America, Europe, North Africa, and most of Asia. In Iran, it has been reported from nearly all regions, including Fars province (Shiraz and Kazerun). This butterfly can be found from sea level to altitudes above 3,600 meters. Its host plants belong to the families Apiaceae and Rutaceae. The larvae employ camouflage as a defense mechanism: young larvae resemble bird droppings, while older larvae exhibit coloration similar to their host plants. Some subspecies of P. machaon are unpalatable to birds, serving as an additional defensive strategy. The adults feed on nectar. Certain wasp species have been reported as parasitoids of this butterfly, suggesting that future studies should investigate the presence of natural enemies in the region.Conclusion: The D. anethifolia population in Larestan, Fars province, faces threats due to overharvesting and climate change. Local communities harvest this plant during its vegetative growth phase, preventing many individuals from reaching the flowering stage. In nature, the plant primarily propagates through seeds. Given that P. machaon larvae feed on the immature and unopened flower buds, this insect may negatively impact the reproductive success of D. anethifolia by reducing seed production, ultimately threatening the plant’s natural regeneration and survival.

Background and objectives: Knowing the habitat and life cycle of pests forms the basis of the knowledge of pest population control, and its application in pest control operations brings favorable environmental and economic achievements for society. In the years when the climatic conditions are favorable, an optimal opportunity is provided for the vegetation and the population of herbivorous insects to try to increase their population and spread their species more widely. A survey conducted in the central Alborz mountains in Tehran province, specifically in the Imamzadeh Hashem and Shamshak areas, from 1380 to 1400 revealed that the pasture species Ferula ovina grows in these regions. The most significant pest of this plant is the moth Malacosoma castrensis, whose larval stages feed on it. Female moths typically lay their eggs in groups, forming rings on the surface around the stems and branches of the host plant.Methodology: The outbreak of M. castrensis species in the plant habitats of the southern Alborz slopes, in particular, in two F. ovina habitats located in the mountain slopes in the Emamzade Hashem and Shemshek regions, was observed and investigated. To carry out this research, the population of larvae was estimated using a systematic-random sampling method. The working method was as follows: in three imaginary parallel strips, 50 meters apart and 300 meters long, in a regular random style with a distance of 10 meters, the larvae of M. castrensis were counted on the selected host plant. After taking photos and combining the density of this plant per surface unit, which was the dominant species of the two investigated habitats, the larval population of this species was estimated.Results: The conclusion is that the most important pest of the F. ovina plant is moth larvae with the scientific name M. castrensis. It lives at an altitude of 2000 to 3200 meters, and the percentage of slope and the direction of the slope do not create a limit for the presence of this type of moth. The average population of these larvae was 1,171,600 per hectare in the Emamzadeh Hashem region and 691,200 in the Shemshak region. Since the observations of the feeding behavior of the larvae were the same in the two regions, and the Ferula ovina plant was their exclusive food, the percentage of coverage and density of the host plant was evaluated as the same in the two regions.Conclusion: The abundance of food cannot be the reason for the difference in the population of Malacosma larvae in the two regions. Due to the similarity of the ambrothermic diagrams in the two regions, the macro weather indicators were also evaluated the same in both areas. Field observations in the two regions showed that snow melting occurs seven to ten days earlier in the Emamzade Hashem region compared to Shemshek. According to this event, the population difference in the two regions can be attributed to the micro-temperature differences during day and night, as well as the duration of the freezing period in spring. It is concluded that controlling the population of the moth M. castrensis through parasitoids is feasible. By providing the necessary knowledge and methods that do not involve poisons, the damage caused by this species can be managed. Therefore, further research on ecosystem-related and climatic factors is needed to develop integrated management methods for this moth.

Background and ObjectivesThe larvae of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller), are widely used, as an alternative host, to rear some biocontrol agents such as Habrobracon hebetor (Say) for biological control programs. To enhance the quality of mass production, it is necessary to optimize the rearing of natural enemies on alternative hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of diapause induction in the Iranian population of E. kuehniella larvae for optimizing the mass production of biocontrol agents such as H. hebetor.Materials and MethodsTo study the diapause induction in E. kuehniella larvae, the insect eggs (0.04 g) were released on 200 g of wheat flour and kept under optimal rearing conditions (25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity, and 16:8 (L:D) h). After the emergence of each larval instar, they were divided into two groups. The first group included larvae that had already been reared in each instar (first to fifth instars) at 15 ± 1°C and total darkness for one week and the second group under the same conditions for two weeks. Then, the larvae of both groups were transferred to the optimal rearing conditions. After the emergence of fifth (final) instar, the percentage of larvae entered the diapause where the duration of diapause was evaluated. The control group consisted of larvae that were reared in the optimal rearing conditions.ResultsThe results revealed that 8 to 45% of the fifth instar larvae from the first group and 100% of the fifth instar larvae from the second group entered the diapause. The percentage of diapausing larvae from the first group was the highest when they were reared in the fourth or fifth instars at 15°C and total darkness. The duration of diapause in the larvae from the second group (19.41 to 20.56 days) was significantly longer than those from the first group (15.20 to 16.92 days).DiscussionThe present study is the first attempt showing diapause induction in Iranian population of E. kuehniella. By increasing the availability of host larvae by inducing diapause, the efficiency of mass production of biocontrol agents such as H. hebetor can be enhanced.