Persian Journal of Acarology

Abstract This paper provides a re-description and description of all ontogenetic stages of the acarid mite, Tyrophagus perniciosus Zakhvatkin, 1941, collected from the soil and under forest trees litter in Hamedan province, Western Iran.

Abstract Spinibdella tadjikistanica Kuznetzov, 1984 and Cunaxoides paracroceus Sionti and Papadoulis, 2003 are reported for the first time from Iran. An additional description is provided for Spinibdella tadjikistanica based on male collected from East Azerbaijan Province, northwest of Iran.

Abstract During the study of the mite fauna of wheat fields in Marand region of East Azerbaijan province, Iran, two species of the family Pomerantziidae namely Apomerantzia kethleyi (Price, 1975) and Pomerantzia benhami Price, 1974 were identified and illustrated. It is the first record of this mite family from Middle East and these two species are recorded for the first time from Asia. In addition, a key to adult females of known genera and species of this family is provided.

Abstract A faunistic study on the family Pachylaelapidae in forest and garden habitats from some regions in Guilan province, northern Iran, was carried out during 2015–2016. The samples were taken from soil, decaying organic matter, especially humus, rotten wood, moss and plant remains. A total of 10 species, belonging to three genera, were collected and identified, among them, Onchodellus squamosus Koroleva is newly recorded from Iran. Onchodellus and Pachylaelaps grandis Koroleva were considered as the most specious genus and the most frequent species, respectively. Some morphological characters and distributions of the species in Iran are discussed herein.

Abstract Borrelia anserina is the agent of avian borreliosis, an acute septicemic disease of a variety of avian species in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Avian borreliosis is one of the most widespread poultry diseases in Iran, and is of great economic importance. The present study was designed to detect B. anserina in Argas persicus ticks. Specimens were collected from the cracks of aviary in Lorestan province of Iran. Then the salivary glands, ovaries and uterus of ticks were dissected to detect B. anserina within the specific organ using molecular methods. DNA was extracted by Phenol-chloroform method and then a fragment of flagellin gene (flaB) of B. anserina was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. According to our results, the flaB target fragment was detected in Argas persicus ticks collected from Lorestan province. It seems that B. anserina is widely distributed in A. persicus vector ticks. Based on the result, B. anserina strain of Iran is similar to B. anserina flaB sequences reported from other parts the world. 

Abstract Functional response and predation rate of Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) on eggs of Tetranychus urticae Koch were determined on strawberry under laboratory conditions (70 ± 10% R.H. and 16L:8D h) and three constant temperatures of 25, 30 and 35°C. The type of functional response was affected by temperature. Type III functional response was determined for adult female of A. swirskii at 25°C, whereas type II was observed at 30 and 35°C. The longest handling time (T_h) (0.6 ± 0.005) was observed at 25°C and the shortest handling time (0.46 ± 0.003) and higher attack rate (a) (0.56 ± 0.054) were observed at 35°C. Handling time (T_h) decreased from 25 to 35°C. Temperature had a significant effect on the daily and total predation rates of each different stages: the predation rate increased from larva to adult and with temperature from 25 to 35°C, and the maximal value being reached at 35°C. The maximal predation capacity of female was about 40 eggs per day per females at 35°C. The results of this study showed the effect of temperature on functional response and predation rate of A. swirskii.

Abstract In this study, the statistical methods and artificial neural network (ANN) were used to estimate the spatial distribution of Tetranychus urticae in cucumber field of Behbahan, Iran. Pest density assessments were performed following a 10 × 10 m² grid pattern on the field and a total of 100 sampling units on field. In both methods latitude and longitude information were used as input data and output of each methods showed number of pest. In Geostatistics methods ordinary kriging, and ANN with imperialist competitive algorithm were evaluated. Comparison of ANN and geostatistical showed that ANN capability is more than ordinary kriging method so that the ANN predicts distribution of this pest dispersion with 0.98 coefficient of determination and 0.0038 mean squares errors lower than the Geostatistical methods. In general, it can be concluded that the ANN with imperialist competitive algorithm approach with combining latitude and longitude can forecast pest density with sufficient accuracy. Our map showed that patchy pest distribution offers large potential for using site-specific pest control on this field.

Abstract Two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is an economically important pest that devastates varieties of crops worldwide and develops significant resistance to common chemical pesticides. Ovicidal effects of two isolates of entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (isolates F and J.B.) were evaluated on the eggs of T. urticae using a spray method at 25 ± 2°C, 60–70٪RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L: D). Egg mortality was determined by using different concentrations of conidia (1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴, 1 × 10⁵, 1 × 10⁶, 1 × 10⁷, and 1 × 10⁸ conidia/ml). Mortality was found to increase with time and was dependent on time and conidia concentration, ranging from 4.06% on day 3 at a concentration of 1 × 10³ to 84.37% on day 7 at a concentration of 1 × 10⁸ for the F isolate and from 1.87 to 65% for the J.B. isolate, respectively. This study also investigated the direct spray of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (isolates F and J.B.) on the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Athias-Henriot) under laboratory conditions. The predator adults were susceptible to isolate F (total mortality ± SE: 35 ± 1.97% on the seventh day) but least susceptible to isolate J.B. (total mortality ± SE: 27.25 ± 1.33% on the seventh day). Moreover, viability of P. persimilis after spraying fungal isolate of J.B. on bean leaf discs at three time intervals (0, 24 and 48 hours) showed no significant difference. Further knowledge is needed to adjust the timing of various releases of both biological control agents to obtain maximum effectiveness in the greenhouse with minimum impact of the fungus on the predator.