| Stefaniola similata Mamaev (Dip.: Cecidomyiidae): anew gall midge of Haloxylon shrubs from Iran |
| Paper ID : 1108-3IICE (R1) |
| Authors: |
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Gholamreza Tavakkoli-Korghond *1, Hossein Lotfalizadeh2, Marcela Skuhrava3 1South Khorasan Agricultural Research and Education Center, Iran, Birjand 2Department of Plant Protection, East-Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research & Education Center, AREEO, Tabriz, Iran 3Bítovská 1227/9, CZ-140 00, Praha 4, Czech Republic |
| Abstract: |
| The plant species of the genus Haloxylon include shrubs or small trees of 1–8 meters which function as important environmental factors in wind control and sand fixation in the deserts of Central Asia. Black saxaul, Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Mey.) is one of the main species in the eastern provinces of Iran, which is attacked by different insect pests of several insect orders including gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Cecidomyiidae are one of the largest families of Diptera comprising more than 6000 species in 736 genera worldwide of which more than 3000 species and 344 genera have been described from the Palaearctic region. At present the known gall midge fauna of Iran consists of 61 species within 33 genera. This investigation was carried out in arid regions of the Iranian eastern province of South Khorasan. The infested leaves of saxaul trees containing galls were collected in Moud region (32°11'N & 59°53'E), during May 2017, and taken to the laboratory to place in rearing cages. After the emergence of adults, they were put in the vials with 75% ethanol. The species was later identified as Stefaniola similata Mamaev, which is a new record for Iran. This species was previously recorded from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on Haloxylon aphyllum. |
| Keywords: |
| Gall midge, Haloxylon, Iran, New record, Stefaniola similata |
| Status : Paper Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
