Tephritid fruit flies are ranked as one of the most damaging groups of insect pests. Morphological identification of fruit flies is mainly performed on adults due to the lack of adequate identification keys for immature stages. The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders), infests some of the principal commercial fruits and vegetables. It is, therefore important to avert its global dispersal, particularly by accurately identifying this species at ports of entry. In this study, a TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the accurate identification and sensitive detection of the peach fruit fly. A novel set of primers and probe were designed to specifically identify the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. All specimens of peach fruit fly (including various life stages) were detected, and no cross reactivity with other tested tephritids were observed. Since this assay performed equally well with crushed insects and purified DNA, we note added efficiency by eliminating DNA extraction step. Considering the speed, specificity as well as sensitivity of the assay, Taqman real-time PCR can be used as a swift and specific method for pest species at ports of entry.

1. Plant secondary metabolites can govern prey–predator interactions by altering the diet breadth of predators and sometimes provide an ecological refuge to prey. Brassicaceae plants and their specialist pests can be used as a model system for understanding the role of chemically mediated effects restricting the diet breadth of natural enemies, and consequently the occurrence of enemy‐free space for the specialist pest.2. The objective of the present study was to test the performance of the generalist predator Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) fed on the specialist herbivore Brevicoryne brassicae L.(Homoptera: Aphididae), reared on two different brassica species: black mustard (Brassica nigra), a wild species with high levels of sinigrin; and canola (Brassica napus), a cultivated species without sinigrin.3. The preference and performance of the predator and the performance of the prey were measured. Sinigrin was quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography in both leaf samples and aphids reared on the two host plants.4. The cabbage aphid performed better on canola than on black mustard. The performance of the predator on this aphid when reared on canola was clearly better than when reared on black mustard. Females had a higher overall preference for cabbage aphids reared on canola than on black mustard.5. The ability of aphids reared on plants with high glucosinolate content to reduce the performance of their generalist predators indicates that the presence of B. nigra may provide enemy‐free space for the cabbage aphid from its predator, a concept that has useful application in the context of biological control for agricultural systems.

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Abstract:In Iran, the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), is one of the most important pests of such stored products as date fruits and pistachio nuts. Ozone was applied as a gas at four concentrations (0, 2, 3, and 5 ppm) for four different periods (30, 60, 90, and 120 min) on the immature stages of P. interpunctella. The results indicated that by increasing the concentration and exposure time, the rate of mortality increased for all tested stages. This study showed that 12-day-old larvae were more susceptible than other stages when exposed to 5 ppm ozone for 120 min. The next in order of susceptibility were pupae, then 5-day-old larvae, and 17-dayold larvae had the highest sensitivity to ozonation. At the highest concentration of ozone, for the longest time, the least mortality rate was recorded for one-day-old eggs. According to the results, a reduction in the population density of P. interpunctella in laboratory experiments is promising. However, validation studies will be necessary to fully determine the potential of ozone as a replacement for the current post harvest chemical control of P. interpunctella on either pistachio nuts or date fruits.

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Problepsis cinerea is reported as a new genus and species for the fauna of Iran. The species is recorded based on two females, collected in South Iran. Identification was confirmed by morphological characters and barcoding data. Information on the morphology and diagnostic characters are given, in comparison with the similar species. Remarks on the habitat and biology are added. Distribution pattern of both P. ocellata and P. cinerea in the Middle East is mapped. Details of the scent scales (located on the male hind tibia) are studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and illustrated. Ke y wo r d s: DNA-Barcoding, Geno protected area, hair pencil, Olea spp., Problepsis ocellata, Scopulini. Z u s a m m e n f a s s u n g Problepsis cinerea wird als neue Gattung und Art für die Fauna des Iran nachgewiesen. Von der Art wurden zwei Weibchen im Süden des Landes gefunden. Die Art wurde durch morphologische Merkmale und DNA Barcoding identifiziert. Informationen zur Morphologie und diagnostische Merkmale werden aufgelistet und mit ähnlichen Arten verglichen. Daten zum Habitat und zur Biologie werden ergänzt. Die Verbreitungsmuster von P. ocellata und P. cinerea im Mittleren Osten werden dargestellt. Details zu den Duftschuppen, die sich beim Männchen auf den Hintertibien befinden, werden mit dem Rasterelektronenmikroskop (REM) illustriert.

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During a faunistic survey on eriophyoid mites associated with weeds in Golestan province of Iran, four eriophyoid species were collected. A new species, Aculops hyperisaemum sp. nov., was found on Hypericum androsaemum L. (Hypericaceae) and herein described and illustrated. Paraphytoptus paradoxus Nalepa, 1896, Aceria lamii (Liro, 1943) and Aceria verbenacae de Lillo et al., 2017, were found respectively on Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), Lamium album L. and Salvia nemorosa L. (Lamiaceae) and are reported for the first time in Iran. Aculops hyperisaemum sp. nov. and A. lamii were vagrant on the underside of the leaves of their host plants and no symptoms were detected. Aceria lamii is redescribed using modern microscopy and terminology. Paraphytoptus paradoxus was vagrant on the leaf underside and caused discoloration of the leaves; this is the first record of Paraphytoptus from Iran. Aceria verbenacae induced erinea on leaves, petioles, stems and flowers on a new host plant species.