The COTTON LEAF ROLLER moth, Haritalodes derogata (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was collected on two kinds of flowering shrubs, Hibiscus syriacusL. and Hibiscus mutabilis L., in Rasht, Guilan Province, during August 2013. This species represents a generic new record for the fauna of Iran. A brief description of the species is provided to facilitate the identification.

Background: Gossypium arboreumis resistant to COTTON LEAF curl Burewala virus and its cognate COTTON LEAF curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuBuVand CLCuMB). However, the G. arboreum wax deficient mutant (GaWM3) issusceptible to CLCuV. Therefore, epicuticular wax was characterized both quantitatively and qualitatively for its role as physical barrier against whitefly mediated viral transmission and co-related with the titer of each viral component (DNA-A, alphasatellite and betasatellite) in plants.Objectives: The hypothesis was the CLCuV titer in COTTON is dependent on the amount of wax laid down on plant surface and the wax composition.Results: Analysis of the presence of viral genes, namely alphasatellite, betasatellite and DNA-A, via real-time PCR in COTTON species indicated that these genes are detectable in G. hirsutum, G. harknessii and GaWM3, whereas no particle was detected in G. arboreum. Quantitative wax analysis revealed that G. arboreumcontained 183 mg/cm2 as compared to GaWM3 with only 95 mg/cm2. G. hirsutum and G. harknessii had 130 mg/cm2 and 146 mg/cm2, respectively. The GC-MS results depicted that Lanceol, cis was 45% in G. harknessii. Heptadecanoic acid was dominant in G. arboreum with 25.6%.GaWM3 had 18% 1, 2, -Benenedicarboxylic acid. G. hirsutum contained 25% diisooctyl ester. The whitefly feeding assay with Nile Blue dye showed no color in whiteflies gut fed on G. arboreum. In contrast, color was observed in the rest of whiteflies.Conclusions: From results, it was concluded that reduced quantity as well as absence of (1) 3-trifluoroacetoxytetradecane, (2) 2-piperidinone, n-|4-bromo-n-butyl|, (3) 4-heptafluorobutyroxypentadecane, (4) Silane, trichlorodocosyl-, (5) 6- Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, and (6) Heptadecanoicacid, 16-methyl-, methyl ester in wax could make plants susceptible to CLCuV, infested by whiteflies.

The objective of this study was to obtain relationships between plant LEAF area (cm2 plant-1) with LEAF dry weight (g plant-1), total vegetative dry weight (g plant-1 and plant height (cm). For this object, three COTTON cultivars (Sahel, Siokra324 and Deltapain25) were used. Sampling was carried out at one month after emergence, squaring, flowering, bolling, boll opening, and second pick from the cultivars under irrigated conditions and four sowing date. At each sampling, LEAF area, LEAF dry weight, total vegetative dry weight and plant heights were measured. LEAF area range between 170 to 8167 cm2 plant-1 with an average of 3039 cm2 plant-1. Various equations were used to describe relationships between LEAF area and mentioned characteristics. Best results were obtained with power equation in linear form {In(y)=a+b*ln(x)}. This equation was used for all combinations of cultivar-sowing date and cultivar-growth stage separately. Results showed that one equation is adequate for all cultivars at all growth stages and sowing dates. Significant relations was found between LEAF area and LEAF dry weight (R2=0.98), total vegetative dry weight (R2=0.84) and plant height (R2=0.76). It was concluded that equations could be used for estimation of LEAF area.

Herein, silica nanostructures with various physicochemical characteristics were synthesized via surfactant-assisted methods. Potent entomotoxic effects of silica nanostructures were explored against COTTON LEAF worm (Spodoptera littoralis) for the first time by utilizing surface contact and feeding bioassay protocols. The mortality of the treated larvaes by surface contact was faster than feeding bioassay method. The results showed that the surface characteristics and particle size of silica nanostructures could effectively control their entomotoxic effects compared to commercial silica or even organic pesticides.It was also observed that the dead bodies of the insects became extremely dehydrated due to the damage of insect cuticular water barrier as a result of abrasion. Furthermore, the physical mode of action of silica nanostructures makes insects is unlikely to become physiologically resistant; hence, silica nanostructures can be efficiently used as a valuable tool inS. littoralis management programs.

The relationship between densities of LEAF trichomes and number of sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) was investigated on six genotypes of upland COTTON, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Mehr, Varamin, Sahel, Khordad, Okra and Red okra) genotypes and one genotype of sea island COTTON, Gossypium barbadence (Termus 14) at COTTON Research Station Kashmar, east of Iran, during cropping season in 2009. The result indicated that Termus 14 supported the highest numbers of eggs, nymphs and adults, and also had the highest numbers of trichomes compared to other genotypes. While the genotypes Okra and Red okra with the least numbers of trichomes on LEAF surface suppprted the least numbers of various stages of whitefly. Therefore, there was a significant and positive relationship between LEAF trichome densities and whitefly population. It is concluded that the genotypes with glabrous leaves COTTON may reduce the whitefly population on COTTON.

The forests in Zagros vegetative area are important due to their geographical situation, ecosystem performance, and biodiversity. Green oak LEAF ROLLER (Tortrix viridana L.) is one of the most important pests which feeds on oak leaves and sprouts and damage them greatly in Zagros forests. Considering the fact that the larva of this insect has different reactions to feeding upon the leaves of Quercus infectoria and Q. libani in their individually and social lives, measuring its social and individual feeding behavior was investigated in the current study. Collected leaves of these oak species were transferred to laboratory and were stored under 25oC and suitable photoperiod conditions (with two individual and group feeding methods) and were given to the fifth instar larvae of the pest. In the group treatment, 20 replications (each replication with 10 larvae) and in the individual method, 40 replications (each repetition with 1 larva) were considered for each host. The indices of relative consumption rate (RCR), relative growth rate (RGR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) were measured. The results of the conducted t-test indicated that the degree of larval biomass, RGR, ECI, and ECD are significantly higher in group feeding method compared to individual feeding (a=0.05). In fact, although larvae eat more when they are individually being fed (due to lack of competition stress), they produced more larval biomass in group feeding method despite they ate less (smaller RCR).

The identification of molecular markers linked to LEAF curl virus (CLCuV) disease resistance in COTTON has the potential to improve both the efficiency and the efficacy of selection in COTTON breeding programs. Genetic analysis suggested that CLCuV resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene. In this study, an interspecific F2 population derived from a cross of Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum was phenotypically classified into CLCuV susceptible and resistant plants. A subset of these F2 plants was evaluated by selective genotyping, with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) to identify DNA markers linked to the CLCuV resistance gene. Sixty seven F2 derived F3 families were evaluated for segregation at 137 RFLP loci. Three DNA marker loci, linked to each other, also showed significant association with CLCuV resistance. Sequencing of linked markers will permit locus-specific DNA primers for use in PCR-based identification of CLCuV-resistant plants in breeding populations.

The genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae) comprises a group of plant viruses with circular singlestranded DNA genome which predominantly are transmitted by ubiquitous whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. Previous studies have revealed the widespread distribution and divers host range for a number of monopartite and bipartite begomoviruses in Iran (Yazdani-Khameneh et al. 2016). As the most destructive members, COTTON LEAF curl viruses (CLCuVs) are monopartite begomoviruses with widespread distribution in Central and South-East Asia where they carrying different recombination to breakdown transgenic resistance in COTTON cultivars (Qadir et al. 2019). Despite the occurrence of begomovirus-like symptoms such as LEAF curling in fields of COTTON in south of Iran and detection of COTTON LEAF curl Multan betasatellite from symptomatic plants, CLCuVs genome has not detected from symptomatic COTTON plants till now (Behjatnia et al. 2015). Betasatellites are begomovirus associated DNA molecules which may act as symptoms inducers in host plants (Behjatnia et al. 2015). . .