A new pest: Rush veneer, Nomophila noctuella Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and its larval parasitoids in Iğdır province of Turkey

Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a pest fed with grass-pasture forage plants in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine damage state, and larvae parasitoids of N. noctuella found at alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) fields of Igdir province in the years 2014-2015. For this aim, a survey was performed every 3-7 days in April-June and September-December months. In the survey, each field was monitored and the larvae were collected from alfalfa fields and kept in boxes covered with nets in the laboratory at 25±1oC and 65±5% RH. and following pupation, adult moths and larvae parasitoids were obtained. During the survey conducted at alfalfa fields, the larvae of the pest preferred alfalfa fields planted in April month and damaged the plantation at changing rates by cutting-eating them from 3-5 cm upper part of root of alfalfa plants at the height of 7-10 cm. Of larvae cultivated in the laboratory, Chelonus oculator (Fabricius, 1775) C. inanitus (Linnaeus, 1767) parasitoids belonging to Braconidae (Hymenoptera) family were also obtained in the study. As a result, the present study revealed that Rush Veneer, N. noctuella for alfalfa plants was a new pest recorded for the first time in Turkey. N. noctuella is the new host of C. oculator and C. inanitus in the world.