Postglacial recolonization shaped the genetic diversity of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata
) in Europe

Climate change may foster pest epidemics in forests, and thereby the fluxes of elements that are indicators of ecosystem functioning. We examined compounds of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in insect faeces, leaf litter, throughfall and analysed the soils of deciduous oak forests ( Quercus petraea L.) that were heavily infested by the leaf herbivores winter moth ( Operophtera brumata L.) and mottled umber ( Erannis defoliaria L.). In infested forests, total net canopy-to-soil fluxes of C and N deriving from insect faeces, leaf litter and throughfall were 30- and 18-fold higher compared with uninfested oak forests, with 4333 kg C ha −1 and 319 kg N ha −1 , respectively, during a pest outbreak over 3 years. In infested forests, C and N levels in soil solutions were enhanced and C/N ratios in humus layers were reduced indicating an extended canopy-to-soil element pathway compared with the non-infested forests. In a microcosm incubation experiment, soil treatments with insect faeces showed 16-fold higher fluxes of carbon dioxide and 10-fold higher fluxes of dissolved organic carbon compared with soil treatments without added insect faeces (control). Thus, the deposition of high rates of nitrogen and rapidly decomposable carbon compounds in the course of forest pest epidemics appears to stimulate soil microbial activity (i.e. heterotrophic respiration), and therefore, may represent an important mechanism by which climate change can initiate a carbon cycle feedback.

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A Note on the Association of Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria (Harr.)) with Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata (Linn.)) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent90538-9 ◽

1958 ◽

Vol 90 (9) ◽

pp. 538-540 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. C. Smith

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Life Histories ◽

Quercus Rubra ◽

Acer Platanoides ◽

Operophtera Brumata ◽

Ulmus Americana ◽

Winter Moth ◽

The Third ◽

Norway Maple ◽

Fall Cankerworm

The fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harr.), and the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Linn.), both feed to a great extent on the same tree species and prefer apple, Malus spp., red oak, Quercus rubra L., basswood, Tilia spp., white elm, Ulmus americana L., and Norway maple, Acer platanoides L. They also have similar life-histories and habits (Smith 1950 and 1953). Both lay their eggs on the trees in the fall and overwinter in this stage. The eggs hatch about the same time and the larvae of (both species mature about the third week in June. They drop to the ground and form cocoons at a depth of about an inch. The adults emerge about the same time, commencing usually during the last week in October and continuing until early December or until the ground freezes.

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WING COLOURATION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRUCE SPANWORM OPEROPHTERA BRUCEATA (HULST) (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE) AND THE WINTER MOTH OPEROPHTERA BRUMATA (L.) ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent120697-7 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 120 (7) ◽

pp. 697-698 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kenneth A. Pivnick

Keyword(s):

West Coast ◽

Vancouver Island ◽

Costal Margin ◽

Operophtera Brumata ◽

The West ◽

Separate Species ◽

Winter Moth ◽

Pheromone Trapping ◽

Yellow Orange ◽

Bruce Spanworm

In a recently completed study involving pheromone trapping of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), and the Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata (Hulst), on Vancouver Island (Pivnick et al. 1988), I noticed that O. bruceata had wing colouration different from sympatric O. brumata. The west coast O. bruceata has a pale yellow-orange costal margin on the underside of the forewings and this is faint to absent in O. brumata (Fig. 1). It is also absent from O. bruceata in Saskatoon, which is interesting because some authors consider the west coast population of O. bruceata to be a separate species: the western winter moth, O. occidentalis (see Ferguson 1978; Pivnick et al. 1988). Descriptions of O. bruceata (Brown 1962) and O. brumata (Cuming 1961), and a taxonomic key to these two species (Eidt et al. 1966), do not mention any distinctive wing markings that could be used to separate the two species.

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Observations on the Spread of Cyzenis albicans (Fall.) (Tachinidae: Diptera), an Introduced Parasite of the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), (Geometridae: Lepidoptera), in Nova Scotia

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent92862-11 ◽

1960 ◽

Vol 92 (11) ◽

pp. 862-864 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

D. G. Embree

Keyword(s):

Nova Scotia ◽

Control Measure ◽

Operophtera Brumata ◽

Winter Moth ◽

Larval Stages

Cyzenis albicans (Fall.) has been introduced into Nova Scotia as a control measure against the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.). The parasite attacks the late larval stages of the winter moth, pupates within the host in the ground, and emerges in the spring. The first liberations were made at Oak Hill near Bridgewater and the dates of releases as well as the numbers released were reported by Graham (1958) as follows: 1954, 31; 1955, 1008; 1956, 1005; 1957, 250. Graham made recoveries of C. albicans from rearings of larvae collected at Oak Hill in 1956 and 1957 and found that parasitism was less than two per cent both years. While liberations have been made at other locations in the Province since 1957, no further releases have been made at or near Oak Hill.

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Recoveries of Introduced Species of Parasites of the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata (L.) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in Nova Scotia

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent90595-10 ◽

1958 ◽

Vol 90 (10) ◽

pp. 595-596 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A. R. Graham

Keyword(s):

Nova Scotia ◽

Introduced Species ◽

Operophtera Brumata ◽

Winter Moth ◽

Made In

Five species of parasites reared from European material were released at Oak Hill, near Bridgewater, Nova Scotia from 1954 to 1956 as biotic agents against the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.) which had been established in Nova Scotia since before 1950. Recovery collections were made annually from 1955 to 1957. This work is still in progress, and in 1957 releases were made in four additional localities. Results of establishment of parasites from releases from 1954 to 1956 are reported below.

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