Identification and distribution of pollenophagous and flower beetles in canola fields of Golestan.

In order to collect pollenophagous and flower beetle which are the most important and most injurious pest of canola fields in East Golestan, some non-sprayed fields were chosen in Gonbad, kalaleh and Khanbebin and weekly sampling initiated at the start of flowering and it was continued until physiological maturity .In addition to these fields, other canola fields were also inspected and note takings were done. At each sampling, in addition to direct collection (collecting with hand or with poison container), 25 plants were selected randomly, and were shaken into a 90-centimeter diameter sweep, and the beetles along with other collected pests were collected and then they were counted. Collected specimens were placed in a poison container and were moved to the laboratory. They were separated on the basis of family characters of beetles and then on the basis of morphological characters of genus and species. The specimens were sent to the Pest and Plant Disease Institute to be identified and confirmed. During 2000-2002 from eight families of beetles thirteen species were identified which are as follows: 1.Blitopertha majuscula Med.( Rutelidae) 2.Cerocoma syriaca Abeill.(Meloidae) 3.Cetonia aurata(L.) (Cetoniidae) 4.Hycleus humerosus (Escherich) (Meloidae) 5.Labidostomis sp. (Chrysomelidae) 6. Meligethes aeneus F. (Nitidulidae) 7.Omophlus cf. pollonosus Znoj. (Alleculidae) 8.Oxythrea cinctella Schaum(Cetonidae) 9.Pygopleurus psilotrichus (Fald.) (Glaphyridae) 10.Rhagonycha sp. (Cantharidae) 11.Stenodera caucasica (Pallas) (Meloidae) 12. Teratolytta dives Brull. (Meloidae) 13. Tropinota hirta Scham (Cetoniidae) Among above-mentioned pest, Pollen beetle (M. aeneus) had the highest frequency and T. hirta, P. psilotrichus and O. cinctella were the other major pest. Theses four pests are found in most canola fields of east Golestan especially in Kalaleh. In some years, other specimens were found in spring and most often in fields of Kalaleh.