Noctuidae S. L. (Lepidoptera) from Sugarcane Fields of SW Iran
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FRAGMENTA FAUNISTICA 54 (2): 137–147, 2011 PL ISSN 0015-9301 © MUSEUM AND INSTITUTE OF ZOOLOGY PAS Noctuidae s. l. (Lepidoptera) from sugarcane fields of SW Iran Mehdi ESFANDIARI, Mohammad Saeed MOSSADEGH and Parviz SHISHEHBOR Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran; e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: A study on the Noctuidae which include key pests in most of the world’s sugar-producing regions was done in four sugarcane producing, agro-industrial areas in the province of Khuzestan, southwestern Iran. Night samplings were made by light trap during 2007 and 2008. A total of 52 noctuid species belonging to 10 subfamilies were recorded. Amongst these, 22 were new to Khuzestan and one, Archanara polita (Walker, 1865) is newly reported for Iran. It is concluded that cropland weeds that act as host plants for many of these noctuids help to support biodiversity in the monoculture of sugarcane productions in southwestern Iran Key words: Noctuidae, fauna, sugarcane, Khuzestan, Iran INTRODUCTION The process of refining sugar is said to have been worked out at Jundi Shapur city in Khuzestan province, SW Iran. Sugarcane cultivation in Khuzestan was obsolescent about 600 years ago due to unknown reasons (Adams 1962). Efforts to establish sugarcane industry in Khuzestan started in 1950's. At present, available area for planting sugarcane in Khuzestan is more than 130 000 ha. The majority of insect species feeding on sugarcane are local species that have moved from feeding on grasses to feeding on the introduced sugarcane, and few species are cosmopolitan (Strong et al. 1977). Of particular importance are the moth borers, a group of diverse Lepidoptera, primarily noctuids and pyraloids, which are key pests in most of the world’s sugar-producing regions (Lange et al. 2004). With more than 25000 included species, Noctuidae form the largest family within the order Lepidoptera worldwide (Fibiger 1990). The Noctuidae include numerous economic important crop pests (Holloway 1998). The first step towards any pest management strategy is the correct identification. Many of the stem borers, particularly those of the Noctuidae, have great morphological similarity between species and some intra-specific variability. Misidentifications of these pests have occurred frequently, resulting in the publication of false data (Tams & Bowden 1953, Holloway 1998, Polaszek 1992). The general aim of this study was to inventories the noctuid fauna of sugarcane fields within sugarcane agro-industries of the Khuzestan province, SW Iran. Present paper is a continuation of the previous works dealing with this aim (see Esfandiari et al. 2010, Esfandiari et al. 2011). MATERIAL AND METHODS Collectings were carried out during 2007 and 2008. Moths were attracted to a generator- driven mercury-vapour (MV) lamp that was placed inside a white tent about 1.8 m in height. The materials were collected in 4 sugarcane agro-industries in Khuzestan (Fig. 1, Table 1). Samplings were done, on the average, every 10 days in the sampling localities. Sugarcane 138 M. Esfandiari, M. S. Mossadegh and P. Shishehbor farms are located in the semi-arid lowland parts of Khuzestan province, which are excessively hot and dry in the summer. The annual average rainfall does not exceed 260 mm. sugarcane trials boundaries are separated by windbreaks, irrigation drains and roads. Light trap was established on the roads between fields and it was placed at least 3 km away from neighbouring, non-sugarcane fields. Fig. 1. Map of the study area showing the position of 4 sugarcane plantations in SW Iran: Amir Kabir agro-industry (AK), Karun agro-industry (KR), Farabi agro-industry (FA), Imam Khomeini (Shoeibieh) agro-industry (IK). Table 1. List of the study sites. Abbreviation Locality Coordinates Elevation (m) Area (ha) AK Amir Kabir agro-industry 31º03´N 48º14´E 7 10000 KR Karun agro-industry 32º10´N 48º36´E 68 20000 FA Farabi agro-industry 30º06´N 48º36´E 6 6000 IK Imam Khomeini (Shoeibieh) agro-industry 31º46´N 48º44´E 23 10000 The specimens were deposited in Insect and Mite Collection of Ahwaz (IMCA), Plant Protection Department, Shadid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran. The Noctuidae systematics and nomenclature are according to Hacker (2001) with later modifications. RESULTS A total of 52 noctuid species belonging to 10 subfamilies were recorded. Among them, four taxa were previously reported as new for Iranian fauna (Esfandiari et al. 2010). Here, we report on the discovery of Archanara polita (Walker 1865) as a species new to the fauna of Iran. Species denoted with an asterix (*) have not yet been recorded from Khuzestan province. Family Noctuidae Latreille, 1809 Noctuidae from sugarcane fields of SW Iran 139 Subfamily Rivulinae Grote, 1895 Rivula tanitalis Rebel, 1912* Material examined: 1♂, KR, 29/III/2007. Subfamily Hypeninae Herrich-Schäffer, [1851] Zekelita ravalis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851)* Zekelita revolutalis Zeller 1852 Material examined: 1♂, KR, 27/II/2007; 1♂, AK, 14/IX/2007. Subfamily Catocalinae Boisduval, [1828] Lygephila (Tathorhynchus) xsiccate (Lederer, 1855)* Material examined: 1♂, KR, 9/V/2007. Acantholipes regularis (Hübner, [1813])* Material examined: 1♀, IK, 8/V/2008. Drasteria flexuosa (Ménétriés, 1848) Material examined: 2♀, AK, 21/IV/2007; 1♂1♀, AK, 4/V/2007; 1♀, AK, 22/V/2007. Remarks: checking the specimens of D. sinuosa (Staudinger, 1884), which was reported by Mossadegh & Kocheili (2003) from Khuzestan, revealed that they are D. flexuosa. However, D. flexuosa was previously reported from Khuzestan by Barou (1967). Drasteria kabylaria kabylaria (Bang-Haas, 1906) Material examined: 1♀, IK, 6.IV.2008. Remarks: Refer to Esfandiari et al. (2010). Pericyma squalens Lederer, 1855 Material examined: altogether 22♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality from April to July during 2007–2008. Remarks: P. squalens differs from similar P. albidentaria (Freyer, 1842), which occurs in Khuzestan, with more defined wavy-dentate black crosslines on forewing and a clear yellowish flush on hind wing. Rhabdophera arefacta (Swinhoe, 1884)* Material examined: 1♀, KR, 27/II/2007; 1♂, KR, 9/V/2007; 1♂, KR, 2/V/2008; 1♂, IK, 4/XI/2007. Remarks: it was recorded as new to the Iranian fauna in 2002 from Hormozgan with two specimens (Ebert & Hacker 2002). Heteropalpia vetusta (Walker, 1865) Material examined: 2♂, KR, 25/VI/2007. 140 M. Esfandiari, M. S. Mossadegh and P. Shishehbor Pandesma robusta (Walker, 1858)* Material examined: 2♀, KR, 22/IV/2007; 1♀1♂, KR, 4/V/2007; 1♂3♀, KR, 26/V/2007; 1♀1♂, KR, 25/VI/2007; 1♀1♂, IK, 3/V/2008; 1♂2♀, FA, 4/V/2008. Clytie delunaris (Staudinger, 1889) Material examined: 1♂, AK, 21/IV/2007; 1♂, KR, 2/V/2008; 1♂, AK, 4/V/2007; 1♂, KR, 26/V/2007; 1♂, KR, 25/VI/2007. Clytie terrulenta terrulenta (Christoph, 1893)* Material examined: 1♂, IK, 3/V/2008; 1♂, IK, 8/V/2008. Clytie sancta (Staudinger, 1898)* Material examined: 1♂, IK, 3/V/2008; 1♀, IK, 19/V/2008; 1♂, KR, 10/IX/2008. Dysgonia torrida (Guenée, 1852)* Material examined: 1♂, KR, 9/V/2007; 1♀, IK, 3/V/2008. Grammodes bifasciata (Petagna, 1787)* Material examined: 1♀, KR, 26/V/2007; 1♂, AK, 23/VI/2007; 2♂, AK, 5/X/2007; 1♂, IK, 3/V/2008; 1♀, IK, 19/V/2008. Remarks: in Iran collected so far in Northern parts of the country (Hacker 1990). Grammodes boisdeffrii (Oberthür, 1876) Material examined: 1♂, FA, 4.V.2008. Remarks: Refer to Esfandiari et al. (2010). Subfamily Plusiinae Boisduval, [1828] Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, [1803]) Material examined: altogether 51♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality in May, June, July and September during 2007–2008. Thysanoplusia daubei (Boisduval, 1840) Material examined: 2♂, KR, 27/ X/2007; 1♀, IK, 8/V/2008. Remarks: recorded as new to the Iranian fauna in 2002 (Ebert & Hacker 2002). Cornutiplusia circumflexa (Linnaeus, 1767) Material examined: altogether 62♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality in March, April, May, June and September during 2007–2008. Subfamily Acontiinae Guenée, 1841 Acontia lucida (Hufnagel, 1766) Material examined: 1♀, AK, 21/IV/2007; 5♀, KR, 22/IV/2007; 2♂1♀, AK, 4/V/2007; 3♂1♀, KR, 9/V/2007; 1♀, KR, 7/X/2007; 1♂, FA, 4/V/2008; 1♂, KR, 2/V/2008. Acontia (Emmelia) trabealis (Scopoli, 1763) Material examined: 1♂, AK, 5/X/2007; 1♀, AK, 10/IX/2008. Noctuidae from sugarcane fields of SW Iran 141 Dysmilichia flavonigra (Swinhoe, 1884) Material examined: 1♀, along Dez river (West KR), 11.IX. 2008; 1 ex., IK, 8.V.2008. Remarks: Refer to Esfandiari et al. (2010). Subfamily Amphipyrinae Guenée, 1837 Boursinia deceptrix (Staudinger, 1900)* Material examined: 3♂, IK, 4/IX/2007; 1♂, FA, 12/IX/2007. Remarks: B. ferdovsi Brandt, 1941, described from Iran (Fars province), differs from B. deceptrix in narrower clasper which exceeds costa dorsally while in deceptrix it is thicker turning more clear ventrally and only partly exceeds costa; Furthermore, B. ferdovsi has stronger digitus and longer cornuti on the vesica. Catamecia minima jordana Staudinger, 1898* Material examined: 4♂4♀, AK, 21/IV/2007; 1♂1♀, KR, 9/V/2007; 9♂1♀, AK, 4/IX/2007; 2♂, AK, 14/IX/2007; 3♀, 5/X/2007; 1♂, FA, 12/XI/2007. Subfamily Heliothinae Boisduval, [1828] Heliothis peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Material examined: altogether 31♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality in March, April, May, June and October during 2007–2008. Heliothis nubigera Herrich-Schäffer, 1851 Material examined: 1♂1♀, AK, 21/IV/2007; 1♂, AK, 4/V/2007; 1♂, KR, 9/V/2007. Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, [1808]) Material examined: altogether 32♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality in April, May, June, September and October during 2007–2008. Remarks: it is a well-known pest of various crops and has up to 5 generations in Khuzestan (Mossadegh & Kocheili 2003). Subfamily Xyleninae Guenée, 1837 Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, [1808]) Material examined: altogether 103♂♀ were collected from each sampling locality in April, May, June, July, September and October during 2007–2008.