ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA 19 (2010): 153-162 Preliminary survey of the scale insects fauna in Kermanshah, western Iran M. TORABI1, H.A. VAHEDI1* AND C.J. HODGSON2 1Plant protection Dept., Agricultural College, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran 2Department of Biodiversity and Biological Systematics, the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK ABSTRACT The Coccoidea on cultivated and non-cultivated vegetation in Kermanshah, western Iran, were investigated between 2007 and 2009. More than 63 samples from cultivated and non-cultivated plants were collected. The identified species mainly belonged to the following families: Diaspi- didae (12 species), Coccidae (7), Pseudococcidae (4), Margarodidae (3), Eriococcidae (2) and Ortheziidae (1). The economically important species are discussed. This project is part of an MSc on Coccoidea studies which has still some time to run and so we expect that more species will be found in future. KEYWORDS: Coccoidea, Iran, Kermanshah, fauna. Introduction in the armoured scale insects (Diaspididae) on fruit trees, willow (Salix spp.), citrus and Scale insects are widely distributed through- other host plants in various areas of Iran and out the world with the exception of the cold published a monograph (Kaussari and Fa- extremes of the Arctic and Antarctic. They rahbakhch 1968) on the subtribe Aspidiotina, are found as parasites on a wide diversity of tribe Aspidiotini (Diaspididae) in Iran. Some vascular plants. Because of its geographical of these were new species. In addition, Ba- location between the Mediterranean in the lachowsky and Kaussari (1951, 1953) west and the mountainous areas with a cool worked on Diaspinae and also described four climate in the East, the province of Kerman- new species from Iran. Davachi and Taghi- shah has a high floristic and faunistic diversity. zadeh (1955) studied Citrus pests, including Among these, coccoids are common and scale insects, in north of Iran. The first economically important pests but a ScaleNet complete list of scale insects in Iran was search (Ben-Dov et al. 2010) shows that the published by Bodenheimer (1944), who re- scale insect fauna of Iran has been poorly ported 89 species, including 27 species from studied. Diaspididae. He also studied the Coccoidea Previous studies: Kaussari (1952, 1954, of Iraq from which he reported 60 species in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1970, 8 families (Bodenheimer 1943). Fowjhan 1971a, 1971b, 1974) was the first Iranian to and Kozár (1994) recorded six scale insects study the scale insects (Hemiptera: Coc- species on fruit plants in Afghanistan. Kozár coidea) in Iran but he was mainly interested et al. (1996) also gave a check-list of 202 *Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] 154 ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA 19 (2010): 153-162 species of both Coccoidea and Aleyrodoidea No comprehensive investigation on coccids from Iran and Afghanestan; this list includes has been undertaken previously in Kerman- 185 species of Iranian’ Coccoidea. However, shah region (western Iran) and the purpose Irano-Turanian subregion Coccoidea still is of this study is to determine the distribution, under explored, comparing the given number species composition and host plants (of both with published 302 coccides (Kozár 1998). cultivated and non-cultivated vegetation) of Balachowsky (1967) described Fiorinia the Coccoidea in this region. phaenicis (Coccoidea: Diaspididae) from Iran. Seghatoleslami (1977) published a list Materials and Methods of the Diaspidoidea (Phoenicococcidae and Diaspididae) that included 93 species in 53 Scale insect samples on various host plants genera, along with collection data. Asadeh were collected during irregular surveys in and Mosaddegh (1991) did an investigation different locations in Kermanshah region on the mealybug fauna (Pseudococcidae) in between 2007 and 2009. The specimens Khuzestan province and recorded eight mealy- were carefully removed from the infested bug species, four of them new for Iran. plant surfaces (fruits, leaves, stems) and Moghaddam (1998), in her MSc dissertation, placed in 75% alcohol or put in plastic bags surveyed the fauna of armoured scales and transported to the Razi University, (Diaspididae) in Fars province (southern where all specimens were mounted on mi- Iran) and reported 36 species in 21 genera. croscope slides using the methodology of Takagi and Moghaddam (2005) worked on Hodgson and Henderson (2000). Representa- twelve armoured scale insects occurring in tive specimens were sent to various taxo- Iran. Moghaddam (2006) also studied the nomic specialists for confirmation of identi- mealybug fauna of southern Iran (Systan, fication. The slide-mounted material of all Balachestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Khu- species has been deposited in the De- zeztan and Fars provinces) where she found partment of Plant Protection, Razi Uni- 17 mealybug species. Moghaddam and Ta- vercity, Kermanshah, Iran. vakoli (2010) recorded 48 species of forestry area scale insects, in central Zagros region. Results and Discussion In addition, the morphology, bioecology and impact of cultural methods on the population A total of 29 species in 21 genera and 6 fa- fluctuation of Porphyrophora tritici as a pest milies were collected on 63 samples off culti- of wheat have been studied in East Azarbay- vated and non-cultivated plants in Kerman- jan, Hamadan and Kermanshah provinces shah (Table 1). The families were as follows: (Safaralizadae and Bahador 1987, Vahedi with Diaspididae (12 species: 8 genera), Coc- 1992, Akbarinoshad 1993, Akbarinoshad cidae (7: 5), Pseudococcidae (4: 4), Marga- 1995, Vahedi and Hodgat 1996, Akbari- rodidae (3: 2), Eriococcidae (2: 1) and noshad 1999), while other subterranean mar- Ortheziidae (1: 1). Among these species, the garodids (Porphyrophora and Neo- soft scale Eulecanium tiliae (L.) on Arme- margarodes spp.) were studied by Vahedi niaca vulgaris and the diaspidids Lepi- (2002, 2004, 2007) and Vahedi and Hodgson dosaphes malicola (Borchsenius) on Malus (2002, 2007). Finally, Archangelskaya domestica and Chlidaspis asiatica (1937), Borchsenius (1966) and Danzig (Archangelskaya) on Prunus domestica (1993) mention some Iranian coccoids, al- and Amygdalus domestica all occur in large though their work was not directed espe- populations throughout the region and are cially to Iran. likely to be economically important. TABLE 1. Scale insects species found in the Kermanshah region, western Iran. 155 Iran western faunain Scale insects AL.: ET TORABI Sampling Family Species Host plants GPS Location date Aonidiella aurantii 34° 19’ 32.46” N Malus domestica Agriculture University 27 Apr 09 (Maskell 1879) 47° 06’ 32.63” E Aulacaspis rosae 34° 79’ 31.25” N Armeniaca vulgaris Songhor, Mazzeralla 11 Sep 09 (Bouché, 1833) 47° 58’ 93.12” E 34° 27’ 55.92” N Armeniaca vulgaris Sahne 27 May 09 47° 41’ 28.68” E 34° 27’ 54.82” N Sahne 27 May 09 47° 40’ 52,08” E Chlidaspis asiatica Prunus domestica 34° 19’ 24.00” N (Archangelskaya, 1930) Agricultural University 20 Jul 08 47° 06’ 26.22” E 34° 79’ 31.25” N Amygdalus sp. Songhor, Mazzeralla 10 Dec 08 Diaspididae 47° 58’ 93.12” E Chortinaspis salavatiani Rhizomes of 34° 58’ 49.73” N Songhor, Mazzeralla 11 Sep 09 (Balachowsky & Kaussari, 1951) Agropyron repens 45° 44’ 37.14” E Diaspidiotus elaeagni 34° 79’ 31.25” N Amygdalus sp. Songhor, Mazzeralla 11 Sep 09 (Borchsenius, 1939) 47° 58’ 93.12” E Diaspidiotus perniciosus 34° 29’ 12.61” N Prunus domestica Kerende gharb 21 Apr 08 (Comstock, 1881) 46°22’ 77.22” E Diaspidiotus prunorum 34° 79’ 31.25” N Amygdalus sp. Songhor, Mazzeralla 10 Dec 08 (Laing, 1931) 47° 58’ 93.12” E 34° 39’ 38.84” N Diaspidiotus sp. Amygdalus scoparia 47° 09’ 66.68” E ImamReza hospital 17 Apr 08 TABLE 1 (continued). Scale insects species found in the Kermanshah region, western Iran. Sampling HELLENICA ENTOMOLOGIA 156 Family Species Host plants GPS Location date Lepidosaphes malicola 34° 36’ 17.5” N Malus domestica Vermenjeh village 10 May 09 (Borchsenius, 1947) 46° 57’ 36.2” E Lepidosaphes ulmi 34° 29’ 2.26” N Cherry tree Sahne 9 Apr 09 (Linnaeus, 1758) 47°41’ 15.26” E Diaspididae 34° 19’ 30.28” N Lopholeucaspis sp. Pinus sp. Agricultural University 16 Aug 09 47°5’ 55.65” E Parlatoria blanchardii 34° 52’ 18.75” N Phoenix sp. Ghasre Shirin 22 Apr 09 (Targioni Tozzetti) 45° 58’ 48.22” E 34° 19’ 29.37” N Yucca gloriosa Agricultural University 12 May 09 Coccus hesperidum 47° 5’ 58.06” E (Linnaeus, 1758) 34° 34 77.59” N Ficus elastic 22 bahman 28 Feb 09 47° 08’ 65.12” E 34° 28’ 35.01” N Malus domestica Sahne 9 Apr 09 47° 38’ 57.14” E 34° 22’ 27.22” N Coccidae Shahrake Azmayesh 24 Apr 09 47° 5’ 50.34” E Amygdalus sp. Didesmococcus unifasciatus 16 May 09 19 Unknown location Kermanshah (2010): 153-162 (archangelskaya, 1923) 34° 46’ 45,54” N Bistoon 19 Apr 09 47°01’25.44”E Amygdalus scoparia 34° 39’ 74.08” N 47° 12’ 78.46” E Sanandaj Road 11 Mar 09 TABLE 1 (continued). Scale insects species found in the Kermanshah region, western Iran. 157 Iran western faunain Scale insects AL.: ET TORABI Family Species Host plants GPS Location Sampling date Eulecanium rugulosum 34° 33’ 92.26” N Malus domestica Harsin Road 27 May 09 (Archangelskaya, 1937) 47°42’ 57.18” E 34° 39’ 74.08” N Eulecanium sp. Quercus brantii Parke Koohestan 2 Jul 08 47° 12’ 78.46” E 34° 23’ 35.84” N Razi University 12 Apr 09 47° 6’ 38.29” E Amygdalus scoparia 34° 23’ 55.66” N Parke Koohestan 12 Apr 09 47° 7’ 40.91” E Eulecanium tiliae 34° 44’ 44.75” N Coccidae Prunus domestica Mian Darband 4 May 09 (Linnaeus, 1758) 4742’ 57.18” E 34° 47’ 52.76” N Armeniaca vulgaris Sanandaj Road 18 Apr 09 47° 00’ 52.29” E 34° 20’ 57.81” N Rosa sp. Kermanshah city 10 May 09 47° 4’ 51.39” E Hadzibejliaspis stipae 34° 23’ 54.36” N grasses Parke Koohestan 12 Apr 09 (Hadzibejli, 1960) 47° 7’ 38.49” E 34° 23’ 56.35” N Rhodococcus sp.