Brachynema germarii (Kolenati, 1846)

Ghahari, Hassan, Moulet, Pierre & Rider, David A., 2014, An annotated catalog of the Iranian Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha), Zootaxa 3837 (1), pp. 1-95 : 38-39

Brachynema germarii (Kolenati, 1846)

Cimex virens Klug, 1845 [sign. d] (non Linnaeus, 1767); Rhaphigster germarii Kolenati, 1846: 56 ; Pentatoma anabasis Becker, 1867: 110 ; Pentatoma tetrastigma Walker, 1867: 311 (non Herrich-Schaeffer, 1851); Rhaphigaster biplaga Walker, 1867: 373 ; Oncoma germari var. flavomarginatus Jakovlev, 1871: 14 ; Oncoma germari var. grisea Jakovlev, 1871: 32 ; Brachynema melanota Jakovlev, 1874: 240 ; Brachynema virens var. alternatum Horváth, 1899: 444 .

Distribution in Iran. Alborz, Hormozgan, Markazi, Qazvin, Yazd ( Hoberlandt 1997), East Azarbaijan ( Modarres Awal 1997a; Gharaat et al. 2009; Hassanzadeh et al. 2009b; Havaskary et al. 2012), Fars ( Brown 1966 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997; Linnavuori 2012), Golestan ( Safavi 1959 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997; Heiss 2002; Linnavuori 2008), Guilan, Zanjan ( Linnavuori 2008), Isfahan ( Hoberlandt 1959 as B. virens, 1997 ; Brown 1966 as B. virens ), Kerman ( Seidenstücker 1958 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997; Modarres Awal 1997b; Zeinoddini Memand et al. 2012, 2013), Khorasan ( Wagner 1968 as B. virens ; Modarres Awal 1993, 1996a, 1997b; Hoberlandt 1997; Linnavuori 2008; Mehneh et al. 2010; Nateq Golestan & Modarres Awal 2012), Mazandaran ( Seidenstücker 1957 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997), Qom ( Wagner 1961 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997), Semnan ( Hoberlandt 1997; Linnavuori 2008), Sistan & Baluchestan ( Hoberlandt 1955 as B. virens var. alternatum, 1997 ; Seidenstücker 1957 as B. virens ; Kiritshenko 1966; Safavi 1959 as B. virens var. alternatum ; Wagner 1968 as B. virens ; Modarres Awal 1997b as B. virens var. alternatum ), Tehran ( Seidenstücker 1957 and Safavi 1959 as B. virens ; Hoberlandt 1997; Modarres Awal 1997b), West Azarbaijan (Linnavuori 2012), Southern Iran (no locality cited) ( Modarres Awal 1997b), Iran (no locality cited) ( Hoberlandt 1961 and Miyamoto 1963 as B. virens ; Rider 2006; Ribes & Pagola Carte 2013).

New data. Isfahan province: 30 km N Natanz, N 33°48’51.1’’ – E 51°40’53.7’’, 4001 ft asl, 7.v.2013; Javinan, Qamsar to Ghohrood road, N 33° 41’ 41.7’’ – E51° 26’ 45.9’’, 6943 ft asl, 9.v.2013 J. Haxaire rec, P. Ducamps det et leg.

General distribution. Western Mediterranean Europe, North Africa (Canary Archipelago), Near East, Central Asia extending to Mongolia , China, Pakistan.

Host plants. On wild Poaceae ( Modarres Awal 1996a) , wheat ( Modarres Awal 1996a, 1997b), bean caper, harmel, seidlitzia , saltwort, sugar-beet ( Modarres Awal 1997b), Ephedra major ( Ephedraceae ), Artemisia sp. ( Asteraceae ), Kochia sp. ( Chenopodiaceae ), barley ( Nateq Golestan & Modarres Awal 2012), Chenopodiaceae (Linnavuori 2012) , in pistachio garden ( Modarres Awal 1997b; Zeinoddini Memand et al. 2012); also on Pistachia vera ( Anacardiaceae ), Alhagi pseudalhagi ( Fabaceae ), Peganum harmala , Zygophyllum fabago (both Zygophyllaceae ), Salsola kali ( Salsolaceae ), Artemisia annua ( Asteraceae ) ( Zeinoddini Memand et al. 2013); on Beta vulgaris ( Amaranthaceae ), Sueda vera ( Chenopodiaceae ) (Ribes & Pagola Carte 2013).

Comments. Brachynema germarii is a vector of Nematospora coryli to pistachio trees ( Safavi 1974). An unidentified species, Brachynema sp. was recorded by Hashemi Rad et al. (2000, 2002) from Kerman as the pest of pistachio which we suspect to be B. germarii .