Introducing a simple and automated method for isolating and collecting insects with complete metamorphosis from Rangeland plants’ seeds

Document Type : Scientific Letters

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Research Division of Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Hamadan Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization. (AREEO), Hamadan,

2 Professor, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10.22092/irn.2026.372005.1719

Abstract

Accurate taxonomic identification of insects, particularly holometabolous species, requires the availability of healthy and intact adult specimens because most taxonomic keys are based on adult morphological characteristics. For insects that complete their immature developmental stages within enclosed habitats, such as plant galls, seeds, and fruits, as well as for their associated parasitoids and inquiline species, obtaining undamaged adult specimens is often challenging. Therefore, a simple, efficient, and reliable method is required to facilitate the emergence and collection of intact adult insects.
This study presents a laboratory method based on the positive phototactic response of insects, allowing the efficient extraction of adult specimens from enclosed plant structures. The effectiveness of this method was successfully evaluated in two national research projects: "Collection and Identification of Oak Gall Insects in Iran" and "Seed-Feeding Insects of Rangeland Plants and Their Parasitoids in Different Provinces of Iran." The method proved highly effective for collecting adult insects of the orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, Orthoptera, and Lepidoptera. The insect families for which this technique was successfully applied are also introduced and discussed.
In addition to facilitating taxonomic identification, this method can be employed to estimate infestation levels, determine the percentage of seed or gall infestation, and support biodiversity and ecological studies of insect communities associated with enclosed plant structures. The technique has been successfully applied to seed-feeding insects associated with several rangeland plant families, including Plantaginaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Fabaceae (Papilionoideae), Malvaceae, Lamiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Asteraceae. Owing to its simplicity, low cost, and high efficiency, this method provides a practical tool for entomological surveys, taxonomic investigations, and ecological research involving insects that develop within protected plant tissues.

Keywords

References

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Iran Nature
Volume 11, Issue 2 - Serial Number 57
July and August 2026
Pages 53-57

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