The longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Arasbaran biosphere reserve and vicinity, Northwestern Iran

Jinoos RASTEGAR, Alireza HADIAN, Mohammad HAVASKARY, Najmeh SAMIN, Trevor J.HAWKESWOOD

(1.Department of Entomology, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran; 2.Department of Plant Protection, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran; 3.Young Researchers Club, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; 4.Young Researchers club and Elites, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; 5.PO Box 842, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia)

1 Introduction

Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are a group of insects belonging to the most attractive taxa for collectors all over the world. To date more than 25,000 species of Cerambycidae have been described worldwide, and there are possibly many more (Samaetal.,2010). The longhorn beetles are classified together with Chrysomelidae and Bruchidae in the superfamily Chrysomeloidea. But, some authors recognized Cerambycidae as a separate superfamily Cerambycoidea (Svacha and Danilevsky,1986).

Most of the longhorn beetles elongate and are cylindrical with long antennae. The eyes are usually strongly notched. The tarsi appear to be in four segments with the third segment bilobed, but are actually in five segments. The fourth segment is small and concealed in the notch of the third segment. It is often very difficult to see (Ozdikmen and Caglar,2004). All the members of longhorn beetles are xylophagous and phytophagous. Larvae of longhorn beetles develop in plant tissues. Most of the beetles are wood-boring in the larval stage and many species are very destructive to shaded forest fruit trees and to freshly cut logs. They have larval tunnels in the wood (both living and dead plants). Different species attack different types of trees and shrubs. A few will attack living trees, but most species appear to prefer freshly cut logs or weakened and dying trees or branches. Larvae pupate either in host plants or in soil. Adults of the longhorn beetles can be found on flowers, leaves, wood, herbs etc (Danilevsky and Miroshnikov,1985;1986;Jenis,2001).

Arasbaran is an important region in East Azarbayjan province. This biosphere reserve is situated in the north of Iran at the border to Armenia and Azerbaijan and belongs to the Caucasus Iranian Highlands. In between the Caspian, Caucasus and Mediterranean region, the area covers mountains up to 2,200 meters, including high alpine meadows, semi-arid steppes, rangelands and forests, rivers and springs. The location of Arasbaran is 38°40' to 39°08' N; 46°39' to 47°02' E and its elevation (meters above sea level) is +250 to +2,887. In this paper, the monitoring of Cerambycidae species occurring in Arasbaran and vicinity (northwestern Iran) is described.

2 Materials and Methods

The specimens were collected during the months of April-August, 2006 and 2007 by using fermenting bait traps in three provinces including, Ardabil, East Azarbayjan and West Azarbayjan provinces. For this purpose, a total of 4 fermenting bait traps were hung in each orchard. The traps were charged with a mixture containing wine (100 ml), water (900 ml), sugar (25 g), and vinegar (25 ml) (Tezcan and Can,2009). The traps were checked for the presence of beetles weekly intervals starting from beginning of June until the end of August. Additionally the mentioned method, many materials were collected by sweeping nets. In this paper the classification and nomenclature of the longhorn beetles suggested by Danilevsky (2004) and Althoff and Danilevsky (1997) are followed. Within the subfamilies and genera, the genera and species are listed alphabetically. Host plants which the materials were collected from are presented. Distributional data were adapted from Alfieri (1976), Althoff and Danilevsky (1997), Sama (2002) and Samaetal. (2010).

3 Results

In a total of 33 species from 26 genera and 5 subfamilies of Cerambycidae were collected from Arasbaran and vicinity, northwestern Iran. The list of species with host plant, locality and date of collection and distributional data are given below.

SubfamilyCerambycinae

Axinopalpisgracilis(Krynicki,1832)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Bilehsavar, 2 specimens, onRosasp.(Rosaceae), June 2006.

Distribution: Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Distribution outside Iran: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Cerambyxdux(Falderman,1837)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Sero, 1 specimen, onCrataegussp.(Rosaceae), August 2007.

Distribution: East Mediterranean: Macedonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Central and South East Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine.

Cerambyxwelensii(Küster,1846)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Tabriz, 1 specimen, onQuercusilex(Fagaceae), May 2007.

Distribution: Europe, southern Turkey, Near East (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine).

Clytustaurusiensis(Pic,1903)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, 1 specimen, onAcaciasaligna(Fabaceae), July 2007.

Distribution: South-eastern Turkey, Israel, Palestine.

Clytusrhamni(Germar,1817)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 2 specimens, onQuercusithaburensis(Fagaceae), April 2007. West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 1 specimen, May 2007.

Distribution: Central and Southern Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Clytusmadoni(Pic,1890)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 3 specimens, onRhamnussp. (Rhamnaceae), May 2007. East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 1 specimen, June 2007.

Distribution: South-eastern Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Deilusfugax(Olivier,1790)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Jolfa, 2 specimens, onQuercusithaburensis(Fagaceae), July 2006.

Distribution: Europe eastward to the Urals and Ukraine, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Cyprus, Near East.

Hylotrupesbajulus(Linnaeus,1758)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, 2 specimens, onPinushalepensis(Pinaceae), July 2007.

Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Canary Islands, Madeira, Asia Minor, Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine), Caucasus, Siberia, China. Introduced in several countries in the world such as North America, South Africa, Madagascar and Japan.

Lampropterusfemoratus(Germar,1824)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Aslandooz, 1 specimen, onQuercusithaburensis(Fagaceae), May 2006.

Distribution: Eastern Mediterranean from southern Balkans to Bulgaria, Caucasus, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

MolorchusjuglandisSama,1982

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 1 specimen, onJuglansregia(Juglandaceae), June 2007.

Distribution: Southern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Nathriusbrevipennis(Mulsant,1839)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Aslandooz, Bilehsavar, 7 specimens, onUlmussp.(Ulmaceae), May 2006.

Distribution: Holomediterranean, subcosmopolitan. Europe, Asia Minor, Near East (including Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel), Caucasus, Transcaucasia, North Africa; introduced in China, North and South America.

Phymatodestestaceus(Linnaeus,1758)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khomarloo, 2 specimens, onQuercussp.(Fagaceae), June 2006.

Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Middle East (Syria, Palestine, Israel), Siberia, Japan, introduced in North America.

Poeciliumlividum(Rossi,1794)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 1 specimen, onQuercussp.(Fagaceae), June 2007.

Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Purpuricenusbudensis(Götz,1783)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 5 specimens, onSalixsp.(Rhamnaceae), April 2007.

Distribution: Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Middle East, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Stenhomalus(Obriopsis)bicolor(Kraatz,1862)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Osko, 2 specimens, onFicuscarica(Celastraceae), April 2007.

Distribution: South-eastern Mediterranean; from central and south-eastern Europe to Asia Minor and Near East, including Cyprus, Syria and Israel, Palestine.

Trichoferusgriseus(Fabricius,1792)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 1 specimen, onFicuscarica(Moraceae), June 2007. West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, 3 specimens, on Ficus sp., July 2007.

Distribution: Circum-Mediterranean species: southern Europe, North Africa, Egypt, Cyprus, msouthern Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Palestine.

SubfamilyLamiinae

Apomecynalameerei(Pic,1895)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 2 specimens, onCitrulluscolocinthis(Cucurbitaceae), April 2007.

Distribution: Desert regions from Pakistan westward to Mauritania and Western Sahara. Egypt (Sinai), Israel, Palestine.

Batocerarufomaculata(DeGeer,1775)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Bonab, 1 specimen, onMorusnigra(Moraceae), June 2006. West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, Mahabd, 3 specimens, onMorusalba, July 2007.

Distribution: Tropical Africa and India, West Indies, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Antilles; introduced and established in Near East, chiefly along the coastal plains, from southeastern Turkey to Palestine and Egypt (Sinai).

Blepisanisvittipennis(Reiche,1877)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Germy, 2 specimens, onAchilleasp.(Asteraceae), August 2006.

Distribution: Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel.

Calamobiusfilum(Rossi,1790)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Mianeh, Hashtrood, 6 specimens, onDactylissp.(Poaceae), April 2006.

Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, common and widespread everywhere throughout the Mediterranean area.

CoptosiaganglbaueriPic,1891

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Oshnavieh, 1 specimen, onAnchusastrigosa(Boraginaceae), May 2007.

Distribution: East Mediterranean: eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus.

Musariawachanrui(Mulsant,1851)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Mianeh, onEryngiumsp.(Apiaceae), April 2008.

Distribution: South-eastern Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel.

Opsiliacoerulescens(Scopoli,1763)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Hoand, 3 specimens, onEchiumsp.(Boraginaceae), July 2007.

Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Turkestan, Kazakhstan, western Siberia, northern Mongolia, Northern China; common everywhere in the Near East.

PhytoeciacaeruleabethsebaReiche&Saulcy,1858

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Maragheh, 3 specimens, onSinapissp.(Brassicaceae), April 2007.

Distribution: The nominotypical subspecies, known from Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia.

PhytoeciacroceipesReiche&Saulcy,1858

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, 2 specimens, July 2007. East Azarbayjan province: Horand, 1 specimen, July 2007.

Distribution: East Mediterranean from Turkey to Syria, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus.

PhytoeciageniculataMulsant,1862

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Jolfa, 2 specimens, onCirsiumsp. (Asteraceae), July 2006. West Azarbayjan province: Piranshahr, 3 specimens, July 2007.

Distribution: Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania.

PhytoeciamanicataReiche&Saulcy,1858

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Salmas, 1 specimen, April 2007.

Distribution: Bulgaria, south-eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine.

PhytoeciapubescensPic,1895

Material examined: Ardabil province: Bilehsavar, 3 specimens, June 2006.

Distribution: East Mediterranean from Balkans to Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Pogonocherusperroudi(Mulsant,1839)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Bilehsavar, 1 specimen, onPinusbrutia(Pinaceae), June 2006.

Distribution: Europe, Circum-Mediterranean: North Africa, Asia Minor, Near East including Cyprus; unknown in Syria, uncommon in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel.

SubfamilyLepturinae

Pseudovadonialivida(Fabricius,1777)

Material examined: Ardabil province: Germy, 1 specimen, August 2006.

Distribution: Europe (except Fennoscandia), Asia Minor, Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel), Transcaucasia, Siberia.

Stictolepturaheydeni(Ganglbauer,1889)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Maco, 1 specimen, onQuercussp. (Fagaceae), August 2007.

Distribution: Southern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

SubfamilyPrioninae

Mesoprionusbesikanus(Fairmaire,1855)

Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Jolfa, 1 specimen, onQuercusithaburensis(Fagaceae), July 2006.

Distribution: East Mediterranean from Balkans to Turkey, Crete, Cyprus and the Middle East: Syria, Israel, Palestine, Egypt (Sinai).

SubfamilySpondylinae

Arhopalusferus(Mulsant,1839)

Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 3 specimens, onPinussp. (Pinaceae), May 2007.

Distribution: Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Siberia, China, North Africa, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine.

4 Discussion

The results of this research indicate that the fauna of longhorn beetles in Arasbaran biosphere reserve and vicinity is very diverse. This work was based on a few samples collected in some small areas of northwestern Iran and only 33 species were collected in this research, but many other species is expected to be discovered in this big region. With attention to the various geographical regions, very diverse fauna of Cerambycidae is expected in this biosphere reserve which we suggest to continue of samplings by the researchers.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. P. Rapuzzi and Dr. G.L. Tavakilian for valuable helps in this research. We are also thanks to Dr. J. Huang of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China for editing the manuscript, and Sh. Khodaparast for collecting many specimens. The research was supported by Islamic Azad University (Garmsar, Damghan and Tabriz Branches), and Young researchers Club of Islamic Azad University.

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