Complementary investigation on life cycle of Ennomos quercinaria (Lep: Geometridae) in Mazandaran province

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Abstract

August thorn, Ennomos quercinaria (Lep.: Geometridae) has been recognized as an important defoliator of forest trees throughout the world. Several outbreaks have been observed in Mazandaran province during the last decade. Study on the biology of this pest in laboratory conditions revealed that it has six larval instars. Average larval longevity estimated as 46.16±3.74 days. Larvae are green to brown in color and pupate among folded leaves. The pupal period of males and females were 13.85±0.25 days and 12.44±0.16 days, respectively. Males had longer life span (7±0.44 days) compared with the females (5.76±0.25 days). Life cycle averaged 64.52±5.86 days. The flight period was recorded from May through late June. Agust thorn is a univoltine insect and overwinters as an egg among foliage of the host trees. In this study, six spiders, two beetles, three wasps and a fly were identified as natural enemies.
 
 

Keywords


بریمانی ورندی، ح.، بابایی، م و وطن‎دوست، ا.، 1385. بررسی برخی از ویژگی‌های زیستی شب‌پره برگخوار Ennomos quercinaria (Lep: Geometridae) در مازندران. تحقیقات حمایت و حفاظت جنگلها و مراتع ایران، (2) 4: 79-71. 
- بهداد، ا.، 1366. آفات و بیماری‌های درختان و درختچه‎های جنگلی و گیاهان زینتی ایران. انتشارات نشاط اصفهان، 807 صفحه.
 
- Andersen, T. and Fjeldsa, A., 1974. Lepidoptera new to Norway. Norsk Entomologisk Tidsskrift, 21: 53-57.
- Antonova, E.M., and Bolshakov, L.V., 1995. Geometrid moth (Lepidoptera) of Tula Region. Actias, 2(1-2): 13-32.
- Bielewicz, M., 1984. New species of macrolepidopterans for the fauna of the bieszczadow mountains and Pogórza Przemyskiego.Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 54: 407-409.
- Carter, D.J. and Hargreaves, B., 1986. Field guide to caterpillars of butterflies and moths in Britain and Europe. Collins, Great Britain, 296PP.
- Garcia-Barros, E., 2006. Number of larval instars and sex-specific plasticity in the development of the small heath butterfly, Coenonympha pamphilus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). European Journal of Entomology, 103: 47-53.
- Godin, J., Maltais, P. and Gaudet, S., 2002. Head capsule width as an instar indicator for larvae of the cranberry fruitworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in southeastern New Brunswick. Journal of Economic Entomology, 95: 1308-1313.
 
- Golley, M., 2007. The complete garden wildlife book. New Holand Publishers, 176PP.
- Kirst, G., and Stauder, F., 1954. Auftreten und Bekampfung des Ennomos quercinaria Huf. In den forstamtern fischbach (Saar) und saarbrucken. Forstwissenschaftliches centralblatt, 73: 271-275.
- Lomakin, M.D., 1975. Morphology of the preimaginal stages of the oak geometrid. Zakhist Roslin, 22: 61-65.
- Manley, C., 2008. British Moth and Butterflies. A & C Black, 352PP.
- Mauffette, Y., and JOBIN, L., 1985. Effect of density on the proportion of the male and female pupae in gypsy moth populations. Canadian Entomology, 117: 535-539.
- Naoum, J., 2011. Ennomos quercinaria. International book marketing service, 68pp.
- Nyst, R.H., 2001. Hétérocères du Brabant. Deuxième contribution à la liste des Lépidoptères de cette province (Lepidoptera). Phegea, 29: 35-40.
- Okyar, Z., and Aktac, N., 1999. Faunistic and taxonomic studies on the geometridae species of Turkish Thrace. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 23: 99-132.
- Skou, P., 1986. The geometrid moths of north Europe (Lep: Drapanidae and Geometridae). Bill Archive, Denmark, 348PP.
- Smirnov, S.I., 1988. Ennomos quercinaria in the foothills of the northwest Caucasus. Lesnoe Khozyaistvo, 11: 48-49.
- Thompson, R. and Nelson, B., 2003. The Butterflies and moth of Northern Ireland.
      http://www.Ulstermuseum.org.uk/
- Warning, P., Townsend, M. and Tunmore, M., 2009. Field guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland. British wildlife Publishing, 444 PP.