بررسي زيست شناسي سوسك شاخك بلند سارتا AEOLESTHES SARTA در شرايط طبيعي تهران

Biological field study of sart long horn beetle, Aeolesthes sarta in Tehran.

The stem borer also known as Sart long horn beetle (A. sarta Solsky) is one of the most important pests of poplar, sycamore and elm trees in Iran. Biological studies on A. sarta were carried out in the period 1997-2000 in field conditions. In these studies, rearing procedures was started by releasing adult pairs inside cloth for mating and to determine fecundity, oviposition and adult longevity in natural conditions. The results indicated that the adults emerged from late April to late May in Tehran province. Females laid eggs 9.56 ± 0.9 days after emergence with 6.57±1.8 days as oviposition period. Female usually laid their eggs at night and the average number of deposited eggs for any single female was 60.4±28 in field conditions. White elliptical eggs hatched 9.81±2.08 days after oviposition and male longevity was 11.8±2.03 days, while female lived 18.8±2.1 days in field condition. Newly hatched yellowish grubs, usually penetrated into the poplar bark. The larvae when released in fresh billets, bored deep into sapwood by making broad galleries. These grubs continued feeding for hibernation during December to March. After 4 months, into the following spring they became active again and continued feeding till September. Full-grown grubs made pupal chamber deep down in the heart of stem and pupated. The pupae emerged to adults after 3-4 months in December. Adults stayed in the pupation cell over winter time and left the site in the next spring. Therefore the life cycle was completed in two years.