First report of tobacco flea Epitrix hirtipennis (Melsheimer, 1847) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from Iran

Subject Areas : Plant Pests

Neda Kheradpir ¹ , Erfan Miirzaii ²

1 - Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran
2 - Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran

Received: 2020-09-09 Accepted : 2020-09-09 Published : 2020-02-20

Keywords: Iran, Eggplant, Varamin, Epitrix hirtipennis,

Abstract :

The alien species tobacco flea Epitrix hirtipennis Melsheimer is reported for the first time for Iranian Chrysomelidae fauna. The first specimen was observed in an eggplant farm from Sargol village in Varamin County (Tehran Province) through mid June; population monitoring continued till the last week of July, parallel to crop harvesting which the population density raised to 3-4 fleas/leaf; continuously, the flea adults were observed on the second crop rotation at the end of July. The species is native to Nearctic ecozone and since 1983, has been reported from Palearctic region such as Italy, Portuguese, Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and Syria. Some of the other species of Epitrix has been previously reported from different parts of Iran and E. hirtipennis is reported for the first time for Iranian fauna.