this report is part of a national project for gathering and classifying the arthropod seed feeders in different provinces of iran between 2008–2014. in this paper, nineteen host species with their areas of distribution are presented for twelve species of seed beetles (chrysomelidae: bruchinae). most of the identified host plants (84%) belong to the family fabaceae (leguminosae). in addition, al...

The use patterns and role of insecticide seed treatments, with focus on neonicotinoid insecticides, were examined for canola/oilseed rape production in Canada and the EU. Since nearly all planted canola acres in Western Canada and, historically, a majority of planted oilseed acres in the EU, use seed treatments, it is worth examining whether broad use of insecticidal seed treatments (IST) is co...

the present study was conducted to assess the effect of dung beetles on sheep dung removal and seed dispersal in semi steppe rangelands of shahrekord province with poor condition located in iran. therefore, the large (1 cm2) and small size (1 mm2) meshes were used and filled by sheep dung in six treatments. to evaluate the role of the insects in seeds translocation, three sizes of plastic beads...

The agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) meticulously defleshes Astrocaryum standleyanum palm seeds before scatter hoarding. On Barro Colorado Island, Panama, we experimentally tested three hypotheses on how this behaviour could reduce seed predation to the mutual benefit of the tree and the rodent. The first and established hypothesis – that defleshing reduces seed predation by bruchid beetles by inte...

The process of seed dispersal of many animal-dispersed plants is frequently mediated by a small set of biotic agents. However, the contribution that each of these dispersers makes to the overall recruitment may differ largely, with important ecological and management implications for the population viability and dynamics of the species implied in these interactions. In this paper, we compared t...

Resistance management is essential for maintaining the efficacy and long-term durability of transgenic corn engineered to control western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte). Theoretically, a refuge can be provided by growing susceptible (refuge) plants in either a separate section of the field adjacent to resistant (transgenic) plants, or as a seed mixture. We examined the ...

Two-phased seed dispersal by primates and dung beetles is crucial for tropical rainforest regeneration. Two species of howler monkey exist in the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico: the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata), and the black howler monkey (A. pigra). Differences between these species in foraging and traveling behavior, as well as associated dung beetle assemblages, may in...

Seeds of many arid habitat plants have a water-impermeable coat and can germinate only after being scarified. Bruchine seed beetles are important parasites of legume seeds in these environments, but their effect on germination can be unpredictable. Beetles deplete seed resources and can kill the embryo but also scarify seeds. We investigated the effects of a generalist parasite, Stator limbatus...

We tested, in an olfactometer, whether or not Tribolium castaneumHerbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) responds preferentially to the volatiles that emanate from the fungi associated with cotton [Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae)] seed over those that emanate from cereals, because cereals are usually portrayed as the primary resources of these beetles. Pairwise comparisons were conducted between c...