Rice is a staple food in Iran, often preferred over other cereals by
most Iranian consumers (Rani, 1998). This crop is cultivated in
several provinces, mostly in the northern parts of the country, and
especially in the provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan (Rani, 1998). It
is the crop with the highest pesticide inputs in Iran, given that insect
pests and fungal diseases destroy a considerable proportion of
the rice produced almost every year (Noorhosseini et al., 2010).
Most of the losses are caused by the Asiatic rice borer or striped rice
stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) (Salami and
Khaledi, 2001). In Asia, this borer is responsible for a steady annual