Mehrdad Amooghli-Tabari; Hassan Ghahari
Abstract
Rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is the key pest of paddy fields in northern Iran which the overwintering larvae look for shelters after rice harvesting. Since these natural shelters are the main infestation centers for the next crop year, an investigation included ...
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Rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is the key pest of paddy fields in northern Iran which the overwintering larvae look for shelters after rice harvesting. Since these natural shelters are the main infestation centers for the next crop year, an investigation included two experiments was conducted in 10 localities of Mazandaran province (including, Mahmud-Abad, Fereydon-Kenar, Babolsar, Hassan-Abad, Naej, Babolkan, Haraz, Bandpey, Nezam-Abad, Amol Rice Research Institute) for three years. The conducted experiments were: Appointment of population transportation process of overwintering larvae and appointment of rice infestation to the larvae in cultural season. The results indicated that the highest density of living larvae was determined in the first stage of sampling (after crop harvesting) in Babolsar, Fereydon-Kenar and Amol, and the lowest one was obtained in the last stage of sampling (February) in Haraz region. The highest (%1.25) and the lowest (%0.87) percent of dead heart were obtained in Fereydon-Kenar and Haraz, and the highest (%1.3) and the lowest (%0.88) percent of white head in Babolsar and Bandpey, respectively. The results of faunistic surveys indicated that there is a diverse fauna of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) of C. suppressalis in paddy fields of Mazandaran province. In total, 30 species of predators (Aves: 4 species; Chilopoda: 3; Araneae: 5; predator insects: 18), and 28 species of parasitoids of Acari (one species) and parasitoid insects (27 species) were collected and identified.
