Hassan GHAHARI, Charles L.BELLAMY

(1.Department of Plant Protection, Shahre Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran;2.Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory, California Department of Food & Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832, USA)

1 Introduction

The buprestids (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) are one of the major pests on trees, and damage to the forests of the world (Jendek,2000). The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,000 species known in 450 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described (Panetal.,2011). The larvae bore through roots, logs, stems and leaves of various types of plants, ranging from trees to grasses. The wood boring types generally favor dying or dead branches on otherwise-healthy trees, while a few types attack green wood; some of these are serious pests capable of killing trees and causing major economic damage. Some species are attracted to recently-burned forests to lay their eggs (Bright,1987; Akiyama and Ohmomo,2000; Bellamy and Nelson,2002; Bíl,2002).

The fauna of Iranian Buprestidae is very diverse and studied rather well, as 216 species are listed in the check-list of Modarres Awal (1997) and many other species in other papers including, Bogatchev (1947), Mandl and Pochon (1957), Descarpentries (1960、1973), Radjabi (1968、1971、1974、1991), Volkovitsh (1977、2008), Bíl(1983、2002、2006a), Borumand (2002), Baiocchi and Magnani (2006), Kalashian and Volkovitsh (2006), Baiocchi (2008), Ghaharietal.(2008), and Sakenin Chelavetal.(2008), Barimani Varandietal.(2009), Barries (2009).

2 Materials and Methods

The materials were collected from different regions of Iran. Plant parts, stems, branches and shoots infested with xylophagous species were picked and placed in plastic bags once a month. Samples were taken to the laboratory in an ice chest, then transferred to a cage consisting of a wooden frame (50×40×55 cm), covered with insect-proof gauze and held at 26±2 ℃ and RH 65±5%. Thus, immature insects in the wood tissue were allowed to reach the adult stage (Aksitetal.,2005). Monthly observations were made to determine the numbers of adult insects from each collection site and date. In addition to the samplings, some specimens deposited in insect collection of some branches of Islamic Azad University were checked.

3 Results

In a total of 18 species from 6 genera and 4 subfamilies of Buprestidae were collected and determined from different regions of Iran as the below list.

SubfamilyAgrilinaeLaporte,1835
GenusAgrilusCurtis,1825

AgriluspecirkaiObenberger,1916

Material examined: Golestan province: Golestan National Park, 3 specimens, June 2007, onPrunuspersica.

Distribution in Iran: Golestan; Khorasan (Ghaharietal.,2008).

Distribution outside Iran: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

AgrilusroscidusKiesenwetter,1857

Material examined: West Azarbaijan province: Ourmieh (1384 m), 2 specimens, August 2008, onPyruscommunis.

Distribution in Iran: West Azarbaijan; Iran (no locality cited) (Jendek,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia.

SubfamilyBuprestinaeLeach,1815
GenusAnthaxiaEschscholtz,1829

Anthaxia(Haplanthaxia)cichoriiOlivier,1790

Material examined: East Azarbaijan province: Ahar (1367 m), 4 specimens, March 2006, onSalixalba.

Distribution in Iran: East Azarbaijan (Borumand, 2002), Guilan, Lorestan, Tehran (Borumand,2002), Fars (Bíl, 1983), Golestan (Bíl,1983; Borumand,2002), Mazandaran (Bíl,1983; Borumand,2002), Qom (Borumand,2002), Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Siberia Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia.

Anthaxia(s.str.)discicollisGoryetLaporte,1839

Material examined: Mazandaran province: Behshahr (73 m), 3 specimens, July 2007, onJuniperussp.

Distribution in Iran: Mazandaran; Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Lebanon, Macedonia, Palestine Romania, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, former Yugoslavia.

Anthaxia(Cratomerus)iliensisObenberger,1914

Material examined: Golestan province: Nationa Park, Dasht-e-Mirzabaylu (1575 m), 4 specimens, August 2007.

Distribution in Iran: Golestan; Mazandaran (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan.

Anthaxia(Melanthaxia)conradtiSemenov-Tian-Shanskij,1891

Material examined: Semnan province: Shahrood (1311 m), 1 specimen, April 2008.

Distribution in Iran: Semnan; Khorasan (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.

Anthaxia(s.str.)lgockiilgockiiObenberger,1917

Material examined: Kordestan province: Kamyaran (1469 m), 2 specimens, September 2007.

Distribution in Iran: Kordestan; Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: Armenia, Azerbaijan.

AnthaxiaolympicaKiesenwetter,1880

Material examined: West Azarbaijan province: Khoy (1149 m), 3 specimens, July 2008.

Distribution in Iran: West Azarbaijan; East Azarbaijan (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia.

AnthaxiaumbellatarumFabricius,1787

Material examined: East Azarbaijan province: Bonab (1346 m), Maragheh (1494 m), 4 specimens, July 2008, onPrunusdomesticaandUlmuscampestris.

Distribution in Iran: East Azarbaijan; West Azarbaijan (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Bíl,2006b).

Distribution outside Iran: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Libya, Malta, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia.

SubfamilyChrysochroinaeLaporte,1835
GenusPsilopteraDejean,1833

Psilopteramimosae(Klug,1829)

Material examined: Khuzestan province: Shushtar (81 m), 3 specimens, June 2007.

Distribution in Iran: Khuzestan; Golestan (Radjabi,1974), Iran (no locality cited) (Kuban,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey.

SubfamilyJulodinaeLacordaire,1857
GenusJulodisEschscholtz,1829

JulodisarmeniacaMarseul,1865

Material examined: East Azarbaijan province: Jolfa (783 m), 2 specimens, April 2006.

Distribution in Iran: East Azarbaijan; Kermanshah (Radjabi,1974:as var.cyrus; Borumand,2002), Bushehr, Golestan (Borumand,2002), Iran (no locality cited) (Kuban and Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Algeria, Armenia, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Turkey.

Julodiscaillaudi(Latreille,1823)

Material examined: Bushehr province: Brazjan (48 m), 2 specimens, May 2006.

Distribution in Iran: Bushehr; Iran (no locality cited) (Kuban and Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen.

JulodiseuphraticaLaporteetGory,1835

Material examined: Fars province: Abadeh (1986 m), 2 specimens, April 2007.

Distribution in Iran: Fars; Hormozgan, Isfahan, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Lorestan Qazvin, Qom, Sistan and Baluchestan (Borumand,2002), Iran (no locality cited) (Kuban and Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

SubfamilyPolycestinaeLacordaire,1857
GenusAcmaeoderaEschscholtz,1829

AcmaeoderababatauensisObenberger,1935

Material examined: Golestan province: Minoodasht (47 m), 1 specimen, June 2008.

Distribution in Iran: Golestan; Semnan (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Acmaeodera(s.str.)flavolineataLaporteetGory,1835

Material examined: West Azarbaijan province: Ourmieh (1384 m), 3 specimens, August 2008, onQuercusbrantii.

Distribution in Iran: West Azarbaijan; Iran (no locality cited) (Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey.

AcmaeoderaquadrizonataAbeilledePerin,1891

Material examined: East Azarbaijan province: Kaleybar (1131 m), 3 specimens, March 2008, onFicuscarica.

Distribution in Iran: East Azarbaijan; West Azerbaijan (Ghaharietal.,2008), Iran (no locality cited) (Volkovitsh,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Syria, Turkey.

GenusAcmaeoderellaCobos,1955

Acmaeoderellaglasunovi(Semenov-Tian-Shanskij,1895)

Material examined: Khorasan province: Bojnord (1069 m), 2 specimens, May 2006.

Distribution in Iran: Khorasan; Iran (no locality cited) (Volkovitsh and Kalashian,2006).

Distribution outside Iran: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Acmaeoderellaturanica(Reitter, 1890)

Material examined: Isfahan province: Najaf-Abad (1461 m), 1 specimen, April 2007.

Distribution in Iran: Isfahan; Iran (no locality cited) (Volkovitsh,2006), Kerman (Ghaharietal.,2008).

Distribution outside Iran: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

4 Discussion

Regarding to the result of this study and also the prior publication on Iranian Buprestidae (see the references), the fauna of this family in Iran is diverse. Although neither species was recorded as the key pest in Iran so far, but upon the observations of the first author in some regions especially the forests of northern and western Iran, some species damage the tress occasionally and are destructive factor for the forests. Therefore meantime the determination of species diversity of Buprestidae in different regions of Iran, the main pests of trees must be detected and the efficient strategies must be applied for their population decreasing. Of course many powerful parasitoids especially in the family Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) have efficient role in biological control of the buprestids in forest ecosystems which conservation of them will be resulted more successful control of buprestid pests.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. D. Baiocchi (Via Matteo Babini, 26-00139 Roma, Italy), Dr. S. Bily (National Museum, Kunratice 1,14800 Praha 4, Czech Republic), Dr. R. Holynski (Ul. Graniczna 35, skr. poczt. 65, 05822 Milanówek, Poland), and Dr. E. Jendek (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ontario, Canada) for sending the necessary papers and valuable helps in progress of the project. We are also thanks to Dr. Jian Huang of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China for his efficient role in completing and publishing the paper.

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