---

Applying a precise forecasting method is necessary to achieve acceptable results in IPM programs. Performances of the wing and delta pheromone traps for forecasting the codling moth phenology were compared with physiological time data based on Degree-Hours. Six pheromone traps (three wing and three delta style) were applied for the monitoring of the codling moth population. Traps were placed in an apple orchard in Tehran Province, Damavand region by the start of bloom. All traps were checked every week and the number of moths caught was recorded. Physiological time was estimated by using hourly recoded temperature, considering temperature thresholds for codling moth development. The results showed that the delta style traps statistically caught more male moth than wing traps. It was also shown that the results of the pheromone traps data were affected severely by weather conditions. Moreover, false fluctuations in recorded data from pheromone traps made some false population peaks, the interpretation of which was very hard. On the other hand, forecasting model based on the physiological time data, was not affected by the mentioned conditions and its results was easy to use for determination of the pest phenology without further interpretations.  

---

The effect of temperature on demographic parameters of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.) was studied at 23, 25, 27, and 30 °C, 50 ± 10% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h. The life table parameters were estimated according to the age-stage, two-sex life table procedure. In addition, the bootstrap technique was employed for estimating the means, variances, and standard errors of the population parameters at all studied temperatures. All estimated parameters were affected considerably by temperature. Among examined temperatures, the highest values of net reproductive rate (R₀), intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) and finite rate of increase (λ) were 223.04 egg, 0.096 day^-1, and 1.101day^-1, respectively at 27 °C. The lowest mean generation time was 50.31 day at 30 °C. Moreover, the highest reproductive value was observed at 27 °C. According to the results, temperature can affect all life table parameters of G. mellonella, and according to our investigation, 27 °C is the best temperature for its mass rearing in laboratory condition among the evaluated temperatures.

---

Demographic parameters of the pink stem borer, Sesamia creticaLederer (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were estimatedon its two main host plants, maize and sugarcane. The present studywas conducted under laboratory conditions at 27±1˚C, 50±10% Relative Humidity (RH %), and a photoperiod of 0:24 (L:D) hour for the larval stage and 16:8 (L:D) hour for the other life stages. The raw data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. For estimating the SE of the population parameters, the bootstrap technique was applied. Total pre-adult developmental periods of the pink stem borer were51.95 and 39.51 days on maize and sugarcane, respectively. The oviposition periods were 5.03 and 5.38 days and fecunditywas 118.04 and 142.88 eggs on maize and sugarcane, respectively. Peaks of reproductive value occurred at ages 49 and 38days when reared on maize and sugarcane, respectively.The net Reproductive rate R₀, intrinsic rates of increase r and finite rate of increase λ of S. cretica were 53.58 offspring, 0.0937 day^-1 and 1.0983 day^-1 on sugarcane and 39.54 offspring, 0.0672 day^-1 and 1.0695 day^-1 on maize, respectively. Themean generation Time (T) of the pink stem borer was 42.41 and 54.57 days on sugarcane and maize, respectively. There was significant difference between demographic parameters of S. cretica on maize and sugarcane. The results showed that there was higher reproductive performance and population growth of S. cretica on sugarcane than on maize.

---

Population density and dispersion pattern of Sesamia cretica Led. was determined in maize fields in Varamin (Ahmadabad and Khaveh) and Rey (Aminabad and Talebabad) areas (Tehran, Iran) during two agricultural seasons, 2017 and 2018. A whole plant of maize was selected as a sampling unit to estimate the number of S. cretica larvae. The highest population density of S. cretica larvae per plant was recorded on the 4^th and 8^th October in Aminabad, 17^th and 20^th September in Talebabad, 6^th and 17^th September in Ahmadabad and Khaveh, in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Mean densities of the larvae per plant were 52.62±12.53, 10.50±2.85, 17.45±3.48, 7.57±1.55 in 2017 and 12.00±5.29, 1.00±0.30, 11.05±2.36, 12.00±3.41 in 2018 in Aminabad, Talebabad, Ahmadabad, and Khaveh, respectively. The population of captured male adults in all fields in the second year was less than the first one. Peak numbers of male moths had a difference of 10-22 days between the two studied years. Based on the index of dispersion, the spatial distribution of S. cretica larvae in all fields in both areas was aggregated during the two years of study, except for Aminabad in 2018. According to Taylor’s power law, S. cretica in Ahmadabad and Aminabad in 2017 had a random pattern, while in all fields of the other regions it had an aggregated spatial distribution during 2017 and 2018. In Iwao's model, the regression between the mean crowding and the density was not significant in Aminabad and Khaveh in 2017 and Talebabad in 2018, while in the other fields indicated the aggregated spatial distribution. The lowest estimate of the sample size was computed by using Taylor’s power law. The results revealed that population fluctuation of S. cretica was affected by the region, but in spatial distribution pattern, the oviposition behavior of the pest was a much more determining factor than the region. The coefficients of the spatial pattern can be used for improving the sampling program to calculate the population density of S. cretica precisely.

---

Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulstant) is an important voracious predator of the spider mites, which consumes all the life stages of spider mites. In this study, the effects of prey species and host plants on development and life table parameters of S. gilvifrons were studied. To this end, preimaginal development, survival, adult longevity and fecundity of S. gilvifrons fed on Tetranychus urticae Koch (on maize and cowpea) and Eutetranychus orientalis Klein (on castor bean plants) were studied. Experiments were conducted based on two-sex life table procedure under laboratory conditions at 27±1°C, 60–70% RH and 16:8 hours L:D. The shortest developmental time and female longevity were recorded on maize and cowpea, respectively, and the longest was on castor bean. While the lowest values of fecundity, net Reproductive rate (R₀) and intrinsic rate of increase (r) were estimated at 107.65±11.49 offspring, 20.63±4.41 offspring and 0.1001±0.0072 d^-1 on castor bean, respectively, the highest values of the mentioned parameters were 158.67±20.18 offspring, 43.63±8.47 offspring, and 0.1448 ± 0.0069 d^-1 on maize, respectively. The results proved the significant effects of the host plants and prey species on developmental time and demographic parameters of S. gilvifrons. The obtained results could be useful for mass rearing of S. gilvifrons and for better understanding of its population dynamics in relation to the prey species and host plants.