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Background: Scabies is referred to the infestation of skin by an ectoparasite, Sarcoptes scabiei. Having considerable financial consequences, this disease is a public health concern in several countries. In this review, we aimed to deter­mine the current status of scabies in different provinces of Iran. Methods: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), Sci-explore, Civil­ica, Magiran, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology and Elmnet databases were searched to find the related data in the time period within 2000–2022. To have a better insight into the status of prevalence of sca­bies in Iran, a meta-analysis and meta-regression was performed. Results: A total of 943 relevant studies were retrieved from the databases, and 62 eligible studies met all the needed criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Scabies was investigated and reported in at least 22 and 21 provinces of Iran respectively. Most of the studies were conducted in Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, Hormozgan, Fars and Guilan Prov­inces. Positive samples of scabies belonged to humans, sheep, goats, dogs, rabbits, mice and gazelles. Meta-analysis showed that the overall estimated presence of scabies in Iran during 2000–2022 was 7% (95% CI 4.7–10.3%, P< 0.001). Conclusion: Infestations due to S. scabiei in Iran occur in different geographical locations and different climates. As a neglected tropical disease, the literature about the burden of scabies in Iran is inadequate. The present review highlights the importance of development of comprehensive strategies for the diagnosis and control of scabies, especial­ly the provinces with high infestation rates.

Pitfall trapping is one of the widely used methods in ecological studies to assess epigean arthropods’ diversity and density. Our work is the first study to evaluate the capture efficiency of different pitfall traps for collecting scorpions. We examined the impact of trap diameter, trap cover, and use of funnels, and designed eight different trap types by combining these factors. A total of 64 traps were tested in an arid plain in Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, during winter and spring over a 24-day period, and a total of 772 scorpions were trapped. The results indicate that pitfall traps are most productive for capturing burrowing scorpions. In addition, most scorpions were captured with covered traps, which can be explained by the cryptic lifestyle of scorpions, which tend to use spaces under rocks and other objects for shelter or to search for their prey. It is also noted that larger traps catch more scorpions, and the use of funnels does not significantly affect the number of scorpions caught. However, using funnels is recommended because it can reduce the number of unwanted bycatch samples. Based on our results, an optimized trap design for collecting scorpions is proposed, namely a funnel trap with an opening diameter of ca. 15 cm equipped with a plastic cover.

Pitfall trapping is one of the widely used methods in ecological studies to assess epigean arthropods’ diversity and density. Our work is the first study to evaluate the capture efficiency of different pitfall traps for collecting scorpions. We examined the impact of trap diameter, trap cover, and use of funnels, and designed eight different trap types by combining these factors. A total of 64 traps were tested in an arid plain in Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, during winter and spring over a 24-day period, and a total of 772 scorpions were trapped. The results indicate that pitfall traps are most productive for capturing burrowing scorpions. In addition, most scorpions were captured with covered traps, which can be explained by the cryptic lifestyle of scorpions, which tend to use spaces under rocks and other objects for shelter or to search for their prey. It is also noted that larger traps catch more scorpions, and the use of funnels does not significantly affect the number of scorpions caught. However, using funnels is recommended because it can reduce the number of unwanted bycatch samples. Based on our results, an optimized trap design for collecting scorpions is proposed, namely a funnel trap with an opening diameter of ca. 15 cm equipped with a plastic cover.

Introduction: The present study aimed to prepare Nanoemulsions of Mentha piperita and Eucalyptus globulus essential oils and comparison of the repellant activity of them with normal essential oils and DEET in the field conditions. Methods: To determine the protection and failure time of the essential oils and DEET in the field condition against natural population of night biting culicid mosquitoes, 4 human volunteers participated in night biting test. GC-MS was used to determine the essential oil components and the Dynamic Light Scattering device was used to measure droplet size and zeta potential. Results: The relative abundance of more common species captured in this study was 40.09% and 31.65% for Anopheles superpictus, and Culex pipiens, respectively. Based on the results, the protection time of nanoemulsions of M. piperita 50% against night biting mosquitoes was 4.96±0.21 h. Also, the protection for nanoemulsions essential oil 50% of E. globulus was 6.06±0.20 h. Comparison of the results showed that the protection time of nanoemulsions of M. piperita and E. globulus was significantly higher than of their normal essential oils (P˂0.01). Also, the protection time of DEET (as a gold standard) was significantly higher than of normal essential oil and nanoemulsions of M. piperita (P˂0.01), but there is no significant difference between DEET and nanoemulsions of E. globulus (P˃0.01). Conclusion: Due to the safety and biocompatibility of the nanoessential oils, and also relatively adequate and acceptable protection time, nanoemulsions of E. globulus and probably M. piperita can be considered as good repellents. It is recommended to do more research on these nanoemulsion repellents, as they may be good alternatives to DEET.

Attractive Toxic Bait (ATB) is a low risk practical method to cockroach control. This study aimed to evaluate efficacy of a newly modified eight-chamber-olfactometer for attractiveness experiments. Different stages of German cockroaches were exposed to carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich foods and their attractions were tested both at ambient conditions and in the modified olfactometer. In the latter method, cockroaches were released into the main chamber of olfactometer and their attraction to food compounds placed in test chambers were recorded as the number of captured cockroaches in test chambers. The direct attractiveness test was performed in plastic pans. Repellency of fipronil insecticide was performed with prepared bait powder using olfactometer. Data were subjected to analysis of variance with Tukey’s Test,P ≤ 0.05. Different notes should be considered when using introduced olfactometer like precision when opening the test chambers valves, the fan speed, placement of cardboard shelter in both test and main chambers, and initial starvation of cockroaches. Roasted peanut, banana and biscuits powder were the most attractive foods for cockroaches. The females significantly preferred roasted peanut and the males significantly preferred banana and roasted peanut. These results were similar to the results of direct attracted cockroaches. The cockroaches have repellency to fipronil but attractiveness of bait with 0.01% concentration was significantly higher than cockroach diet. Generally, three factors should be considered in formulation of ATB like un-repellency of the a.i, attractiveness of bait compositions, and palatability of bait texture. The olfactometer introduced in this study could be used by researchers to study cockroach behaviors.

Introduction:Usutu Virus (USUV) is a vector-borne flavivirus within the family of Flaviviridae; its reservoirs and vectors are birds and mosquitoes, respectively.Methods:At first, electronic databases were searched with a date range from 2000 to 2018 to find theCulexspecies that transmit the disease and then for determining the diversity of those, mosquito larvae were collected from six places in three main environmental categories using the dipping technique.Results:In total, 1369 specimens belonging to 10 different species were collected and identified, as follows:Cx. hortensisFicalbi,Cx. laticinctusEdwards,Cx. mimeticusNoe,Cx. perxigusTheobald,Cx. pipiensLinnaeus,Cx. modestusFicalbi,Cx. sinaiticusKirkpatrick,Cx. theileriTheobaldCx. torrentiumMartini andCx. tritaeniorhynchusGiles. Four species involved as vectors of USUV in other countries are printed in bold.Cx.pipiens,as the main vector was the most frequent species in rural areas, share its larval habitats withCx. torrentium(similarity > 0.9) and reached its peak in August. Overall, in the present study, there was a significant positive relationship between mean temperatures and abundance of mosquitoes (r = 0.75, P = 0.005).Conclusion:In the present study, some species involved as main vectors of USUV in other countries and their ecological features were recorded. Based on these results, the possibility of the emergence of USUV in Iran exists.

Plant-based repellents have been applied for generations in traditional practice as a personal protection approach against different species of Anopheles. Knowledge of traditional repellent plants is a significant resource for the development of new natural products as an alternative to chemical repellents. Many studies have reported evidence of repellant activities of plant extracts or essential oils against malaria vectors worldwide. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of plant-based repellents against Anopheles mosquitoes. All eligible studies on the repellency effects of plants against Anopheles mosquitoes published up to July 2018 were systematically searched through PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Google scholar databases. Outcomes measures were percentage repellency and protection time. A total of 62 trials met the inclusion criteria. The highest repellency effect was identified from Ligusticum sinense extract, followed by citronella, pine, Dalbergia sissoo, peppermint and Rhizophora mucronata oils with complete protection time ranging from 9.1 to 11.5 h. Furthermore, essential oils from plants such as lavender, camphor, catnip, geranium, jasmine, broad-leaved eucalyptus, lemongrass, lemon-scented eucalyptus, amyris, narrow-leaved eucalyptus, carotin, cedarwood, chamomile, cinnamon oil, juniper, cajeput, soya bean, rosemary, niaouli, olive, tagetes, violet, sandalwood, litsea, galbanum, and Curcuma longa also showed good repellency with 8 h complete repellency against different species of Anopheles. Essential oils and extracts of some plants could be formulated for the development of eco-friendly repellents against Anopheles species. Plant oils may serve as suitable alternatives to synthetic repellents in the future as they are relatively safe, inexpensive, and are readily available in many parts of the world.

Rice weevil

The use of Attractive Toxic Baits (ATBs) is considered to be a low-risk practical method for controlling cockroaches. This study evaluates the attractiveness of a lab-made, fipronil-containing bait, and its effect on the food consumption and mortality of the German cockroach Blattella germanica, under field and laboratory conditions. Different developmental stages of the cockroach were used to determine their preferred carbohydrate/protein rich foods and examine the effectiveness of lab-made baits. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s Test was determined using SAS 9.1 and GraphPad Prism software programs. The significance level was considered at p

Prediction models are essential for the potential geographic distribution of scorpions, prevention of scorpion stings and diverse applications in conservation biology. There is limited information about habitat suitability and the factors affecting the distribution of Iranian digger scorpions. This study was undertaken to model the distribution of three types of digger scorpion in Iran, Odontobuthus doriae Thorell, Odonthubutus bidentatus Lourenco (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and Scorpio maurus Pocockin (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), and investigate the factors affecting its distribution using the maximum entropy method. A total of 20 environmental and climate variables were used for modeling and evaluation of the ecological niche. The similarities and differences between the ecological overlap of the digger scorpions were evaluated using comparative environmental niche model (ENM Tools software). The results showed that the main factors for habitat suitability of O. doriae were soil type, mean temperature of the wettest quarter and slope. The variables for S. maurus were soil type, precipitation of the coldest quarter and slope. Annual temperature range, mean temperature of the driest quarter and land use had the greatest influence on the distribution of O. bidentatus. The ecological niches for O. doriae and O. bidentatus overlapped. The niche of these species differed from the niche of S. maurus. This approach could be helpful for the prediction of the potential distribution of three digger scorpion species and this model can be an effective for the promotion of health.

Aleuroclava jasmini (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a major insect pest of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) in Iran, negatively affecting its production. Considering the importance of oils in t...

Background: Lack of information about the dispersal of vector species barricade surveillance and control. Aims: Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the species diversity of Culex mosquito's larvae in the coastal areas of the Persian Gulf. Methods: Mosquito larvae were collected from six places in three main environmental categories: urban (UA), rural (RA) and uninhabited areas (UNA), using dipping technique. Four dips were taken from each breeding site (350 ml each). Larval investigation was conducted two times a month during the study period. Diversity studies were conducted separately for each category by calculating classic diversity indices. Results: In total, 1369 specimens belonging to 10 different species were collected and identified, as follows: Culex hortensis, Cx. laticinctus, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. modestus, Cx. sinaiticus, Cx. theileri, Cx. torrentium and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. None of these mosquito species have been recorded previously in this region. Diversity analysis indicated higher species richness for RA (Margalef 1/26). The average diversity indices for the three environment types ranged from 1.50 to 1.64 for Shannon index and from 0.730 to 0.738 for Simpson index. Conclusions: Biodiversity analysis indicated that species diversity in rural, urban and uninhabited areas is somewhat similar. Therefore, attention to all areas in vector control programs is essential.

Background: To formulate a nanoemulsion (NE) from cold pressed neem oil and to compare its repellant activity with normal cold pressed oil and N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) as a standard chemical compound and to improve efficacy of repellency against Anopheles stephensi, through NE formulations.Methods: In this study, complete protection time (CPT) and failure time of samples were evaluated on human subjects using the arm in cage assay, and their values were determined against An. stephensi. The droplet size of the NE were measured with dynamic light scattering. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams were constructed consisting of an emulsion system of an active ingredient (neem oil), surfactant (Tween 80), and water. Two formulations were selected from the isotropic regions and showed particle sizes of 12.3 and 93.9 nm in diameter.Results: The results (expressed in minutes as mean±SD) showed that CPTs of neem oil NE in tween 80, and DEET 20% were 240±39 min and 360±24 respectively. Dose values for Neem oil in formulation and for DEET were 77 μg/cm2 and 308 μg/cm2, respectively. Nano neem oil in tween 80 provided significantly longer protection than normal cold pressed neem oil (PConclusions: NE of neem oil significantly increases the CPT and reduces needed dose values. Hence, neem oil NE can be a good alternative to DEET and other chemical repellents.

Background: Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis are the most important tick-borne diseases. This study was conducted in three cities of Kerman Province in Iran to investigate the circulation of the bacteria in ticks collected from sheep. Methods: Ticks were collected from animals using Srkj forceps and transferred to the Entomology lab in cold chain. After specimen’s identification, they kept at -70 ºC. Tick DNA was extracted using Bioneers DNA extraction kits followed by Nested PCR technique to amplify ribosomal 16S rRNA gene to detect Anaplasma infection in ticks. Results: 472 sheep were examined from which 349 ticks were collected and identified in laboratory using valid keys. Tick specimens belonged to two genera and four species; Hyalomma marginatum (62.47%) was the most frequent and Hylomma asiaticum (5.73%) showed the least abundance. The infestation rate to different tick species was different in three regions of Kerman Province. Observation revealed that 24 specimens (58.3%) were positive for Anaplasma. There is a significant difference between male and female infection rate. However, there is no significant difference between these variables in each of these cities. Conclusion: This study shows high infection rates to Anaplasma in hard ticks. It is essential for health and veterinary authorities and farmers to use appropriate strategies to control ticks to reduce the infestation.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the main neglected vector-borne diseases in the Middle East, including Iran. This study aimed to map the spatial distribution and species composition of sand flies in Hormozgan Province and to predict the best ecological niches for main CL vectors in this area. A database that included all earlier studies on sand flies in Hormozgan Province was established. Sand flies were also collected from some localities across the province. Prediction maps for main vectors were developed using MaxEnt model. A total of 27 sand fly species were reported from the study area. Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, Phlebotomus sergenti s.l. Parrot, Phlebotomus alexandri Sinton, Sergentomyia sintoni Pringle, Sergentomyia clydei Sinton, Sergentomyia tiberiadis Adler, and Sergentomyia baghdadis Adler (Diptera: Psychodidae) had the widest distribution range. The probability of their presence as the main vectors of CL was calculated to be 0.0003-0.9410 and 0.0031-0.8880 for P. papatasi and P. sergenti s.l., respectively. The best ecological niches for P. papatasi were found in the central south, southeast, and a narrow area in southwest, whereas central south to northern area had better niches for P. sergenti s.l. The endemic areas are in Bandar-e Jask, where transmission occurs, whereas in Bastak, the cases were imported from endemic foci of Fars province. In conclusion, proven and suspected vectors of CL and VL were recorded in this study. Due to the existence of endemic foci of CL, and favorite ecological niches for its vectors, there is potential risk of emerging CL in new areas.

In this study, the opportunity to enhance the insecticidal activity of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil was studied for effective management of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, as a stored product pest beetle. Nanoprecipitation method was used to prepare rosemary oil-loaded nanocapsules. Bioassays were conducted at 27–30°C temperature and 70–75 % relative humidity in the dark. Fumigant toxicity of the non-formulated oil and nanocapsules of R. officinalis were investigated at 13.20, 15.92, 19.12, 23.04, and 27.76 μL/L air after 24 and 72 h exposure and the contact toxicity of the non-formulated oil and nanocapsules were investigated at 4.28, 3.55, 2.95, 2.45 and 2.36 μL/cm2 after 24 h exposure. The major constituents of the essential oil of rosemary were α-Pinene, 1,8-cineol, camphor, and cis-verbenone. Nanocapsules presented an average size (145 ± 15 nm) (± standard error [SE]) with a polydispersity index below 0.3, a negative zeta potential (−11.0 ± 0.5 mV), and a high encapsulation efficiency (78.20 ± 0.93 %). Scanning electron microscope photomicrograph of rosemary oil-loaded nanocapsules showed the presence of spherical nanocapsules with regular and homogeneous surfaces. In fumigant and contact toxicity, there were significant differences between non-formulated and rosemary oil-loaded nanocapsules in all the concentrations and times. The results suggested that nanoencapsulated essential oils from R. officinalis can be used for effective control in T. castaneum. When this technique is used, it can produce pesticides that have controlled-release properties and reduce the concentration of the applied doses and number of applications.

Synanthropic flies are members of order Diptera and considered as medical and veterinary pests. In this study, parasitoid wasps were determined and their natural host preferences in order to select a suitable agent for biological control of flies. The pupae of three species of flies; Musca domestica, Lucilia sericata and Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis were used as hosts for natural parasitoids. For this issue, as much as 50 pupae of each fly species put in three separate dishes with covered top by a net. These dishes were placed in the field to attract parasitoid wasps. The most parasitic rate was related to N. vitripennis (%17.2). Host preferences of N. vitripennis on M. domestica pupae were higher than observed parasitism on L. sericata and S. haemorrhoidalis. The emerging rate of two parasitoids; P. vindemmiae and S. nigroaenea were one per host pupae. According to the result, N. vitripennis can be an appropriate candidate for use as natural enemy which expected to be effective in controlling various species of synanthropic flies. Therefore, S. nigroaenea was more suitable to biological control of housefly populations.

The insecticidal activity and effects of sublethal combinations of the fungus, Beauveria bassiana-IRAN441C and commercial diatomaceous earth (DE) were assessed on adult coleopterans, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Chrysomelidae), and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Silvanidae). Dry conidia and DE were applied singly or in combination. The agents produced acceptable mortality, however, results were not affected by species of host plant seeds fed to the beetles. F1 progeny reduction was notably increased in both beetle species when mixtures of the fungus and DE were each at the LC50 level. In addition to avoidance behavior, different combinations of fungus/DE dosages induced winged morphs (non-reproductive phase) in the C. maculatus population after 50 d exposure. Our results demonstrated that a combination of B. bassiana and DE resulted in high mortality of both beetle species and co-application of B. bassiana and DE is feasible in a stored product pest management program.

Objective To evaluate the rattus biological control program in Iranian Persian Gulf Island, Abu-Musa. Methods This study was conducted on the Iranian island of Abu-Musa during April 2012 to March 2013. The rattus trapping was done using commercial live and baited rat trap, in different parts of the island. Also the island of Qeshm, with a similar weather and climatic conditions in the Persian Gulf was considered as a control area, which any comprehensive rattus control plan has not been implemented during the implementation of rattus biological control program on Abu-Musa Island. All ectoparasites were collected and stored at 70% ethanol. Ectoparasites, including fleas, lice and mites were identified using identification keys. In addition, a number of released mongooses were captured and identified. Results Despite a year of trapping on the island, no rattus were caught in the traps. While on the island of Qeshm, as a control location, rate of rat trappings was estimated 33.3%. Among the 27 captured rodents in two islands, a total of 89 ectoparasites including fleas, Xenopsylla astia (32 females, 18 males) and Cetenocephalides felis (9 females, 7 males), louse, Polyplax spinulosa (8 females, 2 males) and mite, Laelaps nuttalli (13 females and males) were collected. In this study, the introduced mongoose on the island of Abu-Musa, which has established and increased their population and been distributed in all parts of the island, was identified as Indian gray mongoose, Herpestes edwardsii. Conclusions The introduced Indian gray mongoosehas successfully eradicated the rattus population in island of Abu-Musa, but we have no information about its direct and indirect impacts on other native faunal elements of this island.

It has been argued that resistant cultivars may enhance the susceptibility of insect pests to insecticides, and thus can reduce crop production costs by lowering the rate of insecticide application. Here we studied the susceptibility of the cowpea seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), reared on either a susceptible or resistant cultivar of the mung bean (Vigna radiate), to a herbal extract taken from the prickly parsnip, Echinophora platyloba (Umbelliferae). After selection of a susceptible (Parto) and a resistant (Sahar) cultivar, the median lethal concentration (LC50) of the herbal extract was determined as 24.41 and 20.28 μL/250 mL air against beetles reared on susceptible and resistant cultivars, respectively. Rearing on resistant cultivar had a significant effect on biological parameters of C. maculatus regardless of insecticide application. However, herbal extract showed a significant interaction with host resistance in terms of oviposition rate and pre-adult development time. These results provide evidence that the resistant cultivar increases the susceptibility of C. maculatus to herbal extract. The use of plant resistance in combination with narrow-spectrum insecticides seems to be of both economic and environmental importance, as it can reduce the costs of crop production and lower the doses of insecticides required for satisfactory pest control.

Objective: To identify the relative abundance of medically important species of flies and their seasonal activity on Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf, Iran. Methods: Flies collection was performed during Mar 2011 to Feb 2012 in all different areas of the island by using the common fly trap and plastic water bottle fly trap, reverse-cone model, containing tainted lamb or beef meat as bait. The captured flies were identified by using valid flies systematic keys, checklists and species description. The relative abundances and seasonal activity of flies, was estimated by means of flies captured per trap in every month. Results: In this study a total number of 11 species of medically important flies in three families including Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae, were collected. The relative means abundance of flies was estimated to be (6.3 ± 1.1) per trap. The most abundance was seen in rural areas in the South of Qeshm Island with (10.1 ± 1.5) per trap. In this island, medically impotent flies had two peaks of activity in early spring and early autumn, during April and October. Flies activity decreases in July and August due to the high increase of temperature and humidity of the weather. In February, the relative decrease in air temperature reduces the activity of the flies. Conclussions: Flies diversity and abundance in spring and early autumn were higher, especially in rural areas of Southern Qeshm Island. The high diversity and abundance of flies are moderate in Qeshm. Insect control measures should be conducted during the peak of flies activity. Peer reviewer P

OBJECTIVE To investigate the fauna of a highly venomous marine species group, the cone snails (Family Conidae), in the shores of Qeshm Island, of evaluating the possibility of envenomation in the area and summarize recommendations for emergency first aid. METHODS Shores surrounding Qeshm Island were surveyed to collect cone snails during cold (February and March) and warm (May and June) seasons of 2017. Collected snails were identified to the species level. Abundance and species richness were estimated in shores of different structures, including muddy and sandy-rocky shores. Also, the most updated medical literature was reviewed to summarize related emergency first aid. RESULTS Three cone snail species were recorded from southern sandy-rocky shores of the Island, in decreasing order of abundance, included crowned cone (Conus coronatus) (65%), feathered cone (Conus pennaceus) (28%), and frigid cone (Conus frigidus) (7%). Abundance of these species were significantly higher in cold season compared to the warm season (P

The whitefly, Aleuroclava jasmini (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is an important pest on paper mulberry Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent. (Moraceae) plants in green spaces of Tehran, Iran. The predator mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot is one of the most common species found in paper mulberry landscape and it is a major biological control agent of this pest. Knowledge of the impact of insecticides on predatory mites is crucial for integrated management programs of this whitefly. This study assessed, under laboratory conditions, the sublethal effect of acetamiprid on the life table parameters of A. swirskii fed on A. jasmini. The sublethal concentrations LC10, LC20 and LC30 were obtained based on a dose-effect test. Exposure to the sublethal concentrations of acetamiprid had significant effects on the total immature periods of both males and females. The total fecundity and oviposition period decreased with an increase in concentration. The estimated life table parameters indicated that sublethal concentrations of acetamiprid caused greater reduction in r, λ and R0 of A. swirskii compared to the control. Therefore, the use of acetamiprid to control of A. jasmini may have serious implications for integrated pest management programs that aimed at exploiting A. swirskii biological control in paper mulberry landscape.

Objective: To formulate nanoemulsion from essential oils of Mentha (M.) piperita L. and Eucalyptus (E.) globulus L. and to compare their repellant activity with normal essential oils and N,N-diethyl-m toluamide (DEET) as a standard chemical compound. Methods: In this study, protection time of essential oils and DEET was evaluated on four human subjects using test cage, and their values were determined against Anopheles stephensi. Furthermore, ED50 values for the above essential oils were determined using the ASTM E951- 94 method. The compositions of essential oils were determined using GC-MS, and droplet size and zeta potential of the nanoemulsion were measured with dynamic light scattering. Results: The results (expressed as mean±SD) showed that protection time of M. piperita 50%, M. piperita Nano 50%, E. globulus 50%, E. globulus Nano 50%, and DEET 25% was (2.89±0.45) h, (4.17±0.28) h, (0.96±0.27) h, (5.51±0.02) h, and (6.10±0.47) h, respectively. ED50 values were 29.10 (95% CI: 23.36-36.06) μg/cm2 for Mentha, 19.39 (15.35-23.99) μg/cm2 for Mentha Nano, 36.10 (28.70-48.01) μg/cm2 for Eucalyptus, 18.50 (14.65-23.23) μg/cm2 for Eucalyptus Nano, and 3.62 (2.68-4.55) μg/cm2 for DEET, respectively. E. globulus Nano and M. piperita Nano provided significantly longer protection than normal essential oils E. globulus and M. piperita (P

The antivenom production against poisonous creatures encounters a number of difficulties. Interestingly, according to the network theory the conventional antigens are not necessarily needed for producing antibodies against the venoms. In this investigation, the antivenom against Mesobuthus eupeus venom was produced based on the aforementioned theory. Polyclonal antibodies against M. eupeus venom were obtained from the immunized rabbits and the specific antibodies were isolated. After separation of Fab2, immunization process and production of the monovalent and anti-idiotype, these antivenoms were analyzed for the determination of their neutralizing power. The level of the produced antibodies in different stages of this study was also measured by ELISA assay. Four hundred and fifty micrograms of the venom can be neutralized by 4.2, 18 and 291 mg of monovalent, polyvalent and anti-idiotype antivenom, respectively. The ELISA results revealed that idiotypic antigens were six times more immunogenic than anti-idiotypes. The anti-idiotype antivenom can be produced on a large scale with minimum venom consumption. In addition, they are non-toxicant in immunized animals and can be used as a vaccine in people at the risk of scorpion stings.

Objective To determine the faunal diversity of Muscidae and Fanniidae flies in Tehran, Iran. Methods A net-capturing by direct observing method and fly trap were used to capture adult flies. To determine the fauna of flies in different habitats, 4 biotopes including corpse (human, birds, livestock), garbage and decaying organic matters, animal carcasses and human indoor habitat were selected. Big hashing nets (95 cm in diameter) have been used for adult flies capture in these biotopes. Results In this study, totally 2 418 adult flies from 8 families including Muscidae, Fanniidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Tachinidae, Syrphidae, Anthomyiidae and Conopidae were captured. Among these, 1 279 belong to Muscidae and Fanniidae families. Four genera and 5 medically important species captured from two above mentioned families. Conclusions Based on scientific documentation, 2 species of Muscina stabulans (M. stabulans) and Fannia scalaris (F. scalaris) are reported for the first time in Iran. However M. stabulans is a cosmopolitan species and its presence in Iran was probable.

In this study, the amount and origin of the pollution of Karaj river and Amir-Kabir dam, which is the most important supply of Tehrans (capital of Iran) drinking water with malathion and diazinon, have been assessed by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) technique. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. After initial assessments, four stations were selected for water sampling. In all stations, sampling was done in one day, one week, two weeks, one month, two months and three months after insecticide spraying. Extraction and separating of organophosphorus insecticides from water samples was done by acetone and methylen chloride solvents, using decanter. Then, the residue of malathion and diazinon insecticides was determined using HPTLC technique. The residue of malathion and diazinon in water decreases with increasing the distance and time of spraying. The residues of malathion and diazinon insecticides at station 1 and 2, which were close to spraying places, 1-2 months after spraying was more than allowed limits. But at the ending stations (3 and 4), malathion and diazinon were detectable just in the 1 day and 1 month after spraying, respectively. It is unlikely that Tehran's drinking water be polluted with these two insecticides and the most adverse effect can be seen in the area of spraying. Therefore not only the environment, but also the people in area of Karaj river are at risk of chronic toxicity with malathion and diazinon through consuming polluted water and agriculture products.