Background and Objectives
The Jujube lappet moth, Streblote siva (Lefebvre) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), is one of the most important polyphagous pest in ornamental and forest communities’ species including Conocarpus erectus, Ziziphus spp. and Acacia ampliceps in southern provinces of Iran such as Bushehr, Khuzestan and Hormozgan. This insect was not a significant economic damage in the past, but since huge planting of imported C. erectus tree in urban and industrial areas in these regions, it has become a serious threat to urban open spaces.
This study was conducted to determine morphology, biology and dynamism of S. siva.
Mateials and Methods
The region of Bushehr was chosen in order to study the population dynamics and biology of S. siva following the stratified random sampling program.
Results
The results showed that the eggs of the insect are large white-brown. The surface of the eggs is brown spotted and they are denser on the eggs' poles. S. siva has 6 instars larva. The pupae are in thin sturdy silk cocoons on the branches and trunk of their hosts. According to the results, S. siva spends May to September which is a very hot period in the region, as pupae begins their oversummering and overwintering. In early October, the adults' moths appear gradually and after mating, they start laying eggs on leaves and branches. The insect has two autumnal and a spring generation in cool winters and one autumn and one spring generation in cold winters. The autumn first generation had a clear pick point and the average population gradually declined to the lowest amount in early November. The spring generation adults appeared gradually since the middle of March.
Discussion
Forests conservation, protection and urban open spaces are very important due to the extreme climates, dust and environmental pollution of the southern regions of Iran. In these circumstances, Conocarpus erectus has been planted in wide areas because of extreme compatibility, resistance to environmental stress and its rapid growth. The results of this research can provide the basic information necessary for the pest management (IPM) of S. siva.