İrfan Aslan

Isolation of some pathogenic bacteria from the great spruce bark beetle, Dendroctonus micans and its specific predator, Rhizophagus grandis

Some bacteria were isolated from Dendroctonus micans and its specific predator, Rhizophagus grandis. Six bacteria from D. micans were identified as Bacillus pumilus, Enterobacter intermedius, Citrobacter freundii, Cellulomonas flavigena, Microbacterium liquefaciens and Enterobacter amnigenus, three bacteria from R. grandis as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pantoea agglomerans and Serratia grimesii, on the basis of fatty acid methyl ester analysis and carbon utilization profile by using Microbial Identification and Biolog Microplate Systems. Their insecticidal effects were tested on larvae and adults of D. micans.

Effects of four Bacillus spp. of soil origin on the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)

Four species of Bacillus were isolated from soil in an effort to find safe, effective and alternative biological control agents against plant pests. These bacteria were identified as Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus cereus on the basis of fatty acid methyl ester analysis and carbon utilization profiles by using Microbial Identification and Biolog Microplate Systems. Laboratory experiments carried out to determine the insecticidal activities of these isolates showed that B. pumilus caused 95.7 and 26.7% mortality and B. sphaericus caused 74.5 and 23.3% mortality of Leptinotarsa decemlineata larvae and adults, respectively. B. cereus and B. megaterium showed 51.1 and 29.7%, respectively, of L. decemlineata larvae. This study presents at least two Turkish isolates from the genus Bacillus showing high insecticidal activity against L. decemlineata.

Diterpenoids from Sideritis condensata. Evaluation of chemotaxonomy of Sideritis species and insecticidal activity

Several aromatic plants are used as herbal tea in Turkey, and one of the most commonly used plants for herbal tea is the genus Sideritis, which is widely grown, particularly in Aegean and Mediterranean areas, and represented by 46 species with high endemism (≅ 80%). Sideritis condensata Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae), known as Mountain Tea or Donkey Tea in Turkish, is widely distributed in the Western part of Anatolia [1]. In previous studies, essential oil compositions of the species of S. condensata from different localities were reported [2, 3], and recently antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the extracts of the species have also been reported [4]. However, there is no study on the diterpenoid composition and other constituents of the species in the literature. We report herein a study of the diterpenoid constituents of Sideritis condensata and the insecticidal/acaricidal activity of the acetone extract and the pure compound linearol (1), which is a major diterpenoid in many species of Sideritis, against Bemicia tabaci, Lasioderma serricorne, Tetranychus urticae, Sitophilus granarius, Acanthoscelides obtectus, and Ephestia kuehniella. This is the first report on the diterpenoid constituents of S. condensata and insecticidal activity of the acetone extract of S.condensata and the kaurane diterpenoid linearol (1). From the Sideritis condensata extract, two kaurane, three iso-kaurane, and two epoxykaurane diterpenoids were isolated. They were identified as linearol (1), isolinearol (2), siderol (3), sideridiol (4), sideroxol (5), 7-acetylsideroxol, and candol B (7). Considering the chemotaxomic evaluation of Sideritis species, 46 species and 10 subspecies in Turkey and over 120 species in the Mediterranean area from the Caucasus to the Canary Islands have been reported [5]. The reported species from Turkey showed that their main constituents are kaurane diterpenoids. The species S. perfoliata and S. trojana were reported to have a single pimarane skeleton, and a labdane diterpene from S. argyrea was also reported. Eighty-one diterpenoids have been isolated from 16 species of Turkish Sideritis, including with this study, 77 of which have a kaurene skeleton with 31 distinct structures. The other four are labdane, pimarane, and beyerane. These results showed that 95% of species of Turkish Sideritis have diterpenoids with the kaurane skeleton [5–12]. However, species of Sideritis from the Western Mediterranean area and the Canary Islands contain diterpenoids with a greater diversity of structures such as ent-labdane [13], pimarane, and manoyl oxides [14–15] in addtition to kaurane diterpenoids. Six kaurane and seven labdane diterpenoids have been reported, isolated from Spanish S. chamaedryfolia [16]. Moreover, the presence of the new labdane and ten manoyl oxide diterpenoids in the ethanol extract of S. gomerae [13] from the Canary Islands was also reported. Additionally, Sideritis species, collected from Spain, have also incorporated bicyclic and tricyclic diterpenoids such as labdane, pimarane, and manoyl oxides besides kaurene diterpenoids. However, only diterpenes having labdane, pimarane, or manoyl oxide skeletons from S. perfoliata, S. trojana, and S. argyrea from Turkey have been reported [5, 9]. This could explain the effect of geographical location, climate, and soil conditions on the component diversity of Sideritis species. The results may indicate that kaurane diterpenoids could be used as a chemotaxonomic marker for the species of Turkish Sideritis. However, this looks difficult for the species from the Western Mediterranean area and the Canary Islands.

ÖNEMLİ SÖĞÜT ZARARLİ Plaglodera versicolora (Laicharting) (Coleoptera, Chıysomelidae, Civysomelinae) NIN ERZURUM KOŞULLARINDA BİYOLOJİSİ VE ZARAR] ÜZFRİNDE GÖZLEMLER / THE BİOLOCY AND DAMAGE OF Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharling) (Coleoptera, Chıysomelid

OZET: 1997-1999 yillari arasinda Erzurum kosullarinda surdurulen calismada, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharling) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae. Chrysomelinae) nin biyolojisi arastirilmis, sogutlerde erginlerin ve larvalarin yapraklarda beslenmesi sonucu ozellikle fidan doneminde olan sogutlerin onemli derecede zarar gordugu veyeryer kurudugu belirlenmistir. Zararlinin Erzurum kosullarinda 2-3 dol verdigi saplanmistir. Anahtar kelimeler: Chiysomelidae, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharling), Sogut Zararlisi. Erzurum, Turkiye, THE BIOLOCY AND DAMAGE OF Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharling) (Coleoptera, Chiysomelidae, Chrysomelinae) OF IMPORTANT WILLOW PEST IN ERZURUM CONDITIONS SUMMARY: This sludy was carried out under Erzurum condition in the years ol 1997-1999. Adulls and larvae of Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharling) (Coleoplera, Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae) leed on wiHow foliages. Especially young willows were damaged and drved by feed of this insecls larvae and adull. This insect gives 2-3 generation peryear in Erzurum provinces. Key words: Chrysomelidae, Plagiodera versicolora {Laicharling), Willow pest, Erzurum, Turkey