© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Mohammadi-Khoramabadi
et al.
80
ty, Yazd province (31°12´ N, 53°28´ E, 1510 m
a.s.l.), Darab county, Fars province (28°47´ N,
54°33´ E, 1100 m a.s.l.) and Yazd county, Yazd
province, Iran (Figure 1). For this purpose,
several bushes of
P
.
farcta
were randomly se-
lected and all pods of a single branch were
selected to provide a sample of 100 pods.
There were six replicates (totally 600 pods)
in each area. The pods were then dissected
in the laboratory and the rate of damaged
pods was calculated.
Natural enemies of N. austeritella
We
inspected the infested pods of
P
.
farcta
for larval parasitoids of
N. austeritella
in the study area of Yazd County. Anaesthe-
tized or with observable parasitoid larvae
were transferred to the laboratory and kept
in ventilated plastic rearing boxes. Adult par-
asitoids were collected and identified by the
third author (Tobias
et al.,
1986; Van Achter-
berg, 1990).
Results
General biology
The first adults of
N
.
austeritella
emerged
in late May (Figures 2A and 3) and their ap-
pearance lasted until mid-June. This period
was synchronized with the first flowering
period of
P
.
farcta
, which began from early
May, in the studied areas, when the forma-
tion of green fruits occurs. The females laid
their eggs singly on the surface of the young
green pods of the host plant (Figure 2B).
The first larval instar ate the egg chori-
on immediately after hatching and it then
Figure 1.
Map of sampling areas of
Nephopterygia austeritella
in central Iran.
