Diversity and abundance of the sawfly (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) community in Darab rain-fed damask rose plain, Fars province, southwestern Iran

Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta) are one of the important pest groups on damask rose, Rosa damascena P. Mill. (Plantae: Rosaceae). This study has been carried out to identify and investigate species diversity of sawflies in Darab rain-fed damask rose plain, Fars province which with ۵۲۹۰ hectares is the largest organic, rain-fed damask rose plain in the world in ۲۰۱۹. Sampling was done using four Malaise traps which were installed in different areas of the plain, from spring to summer. Collecting pots were emptied at an interval of two weeks and sawfly individuals were then isolated, mounted, or pinned and finally identified. To predict species richness of sawflies, the rarefaction method was applied to abundance-based and sample-based data. Totally, ۱۳۳ individuals were collected representing ۵ species from two families, Argidae: a single species, Arge cingulata Jakowlew, ۱۸۹۱ and Tenthredinidae: four species, Allantus (Allantus) viennensis (Schrank, ۱۷۸۱), Cladius pectinicornis (Geoffroy, ۱۷۸۵), Macrophya diaphenia Benson, ۱۹۶۸ and Tenthredo marginella Fabricius, ۱۷۹۳. Allantus viennensis was dominant with ۶۳.۹% of collected individuals. Tenthredo marginella and M. diaphenia had the following abundance rankings of ۲۶.۳% and ۸.۲۷% collected individuals respectively. Two species, A. cingulata and C. pectinicornis, were the singletons. The adult flight period of the dominant species, A. viennensis, was registered in two distinct periods and the others in one. Rarefaction showed that more sampling will yield ۶-۸ sawfly species in this region. The differences between the sawfly community of Darab damask rose plain and other regions of Iran and the world were discussed.

Keywords:

Rosa damascena , pest , fauna , community , گل محمدی , آفت , فون , جامعه