Estimation of the adult Sunn Pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hem.: Scutelleridae) population in wheat fields using the sweeping method

In Iran, Sunn Pest Eurygaster integriceps is a major economic pest of wheat and barley. Current chemical control relies on targeting overwintering adults in wheat fields, requiring precise and efficient population assessments. While sweep-net sampling is commonly used, it lacks a strong theoretical basis. Therefore, this study was conducted to address this gap. Overwintered adults of the Sunn Pest population were sampled from wheat fields in five provinces by sweep net in early May ۲۰۰۵. The Menhinick model was developed to estimate overwintered adult Sunn Pest density from sweep-net catch. This method involved sweeping a known area multiple times between ۹ AM and noon at half-hour intervals to establish a decreasing trend in numbers, which was then used to estimate the total population size through linear regression. This data also allowed estimating the number of sweep strokes required to cover ۱ m². The number of strokes required to sample the overwintered adult Sunn Pest population density in one m² of wheat field ranged from ۷.۱ to ۸.۴, with a median of approximately eight sweeps, equivalent to one m².

کلیدواژه ها:

Sunn pest ، Eurygaster integriceps ، Sampling ، Sweep net ، Wheat