Biology and Management of the Forest Tent Caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

Changes in Nesting Density of Baltimore Orioles (1976-1995) and Other Species in the Dune- Ridge Forest, Delta Marsh, MB: Response to an Outbreak of Forest Tent Caterpillar?

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Prevalence and biology of Furia gastropachae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) in populations of forest tent caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/n02-004 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 135 (3) ◽

pp. 359-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Melanie J. Filotas ◽

Ann E. Hajek ◽

Richard A. Humber

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

United States Of America ◽

Pieris Rapae ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Danaus Plexippus ◽

Malacosoma Disstria ◽

Forest Tent Caterpillar ◽

Resting Spore ◽

Tent Caterpillar ◽

Marked Tendency

AbstractFuria gastropachaecomb. nov. (= Furia crustosa MacLeod et Tyrrell) has long been associated with declines in populations of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner; however, its prevalence and impact on host populations have never been documented. We clarify the nomenclature for this species, which has previously been called F. crustosa, and describe the morphology of F. gastropachae isolates from Maryland and New York. Epizootics of F. gastropachae were studied in M. disstria populations in New York and Maryland, United States of America. Prevalence (mean ± SE) of F. gastropachae in late fifth instar larvae in New York was 25.6 ± 7.8% compared with 22.2 ± 11.3% infection by virus and 23.3 ± 8.4% parasitism. In Maryland, F. gastropachae was not found in early instars and its incidence in fourth and fifth instars was 14.5 ± 7.3 and 21.6 ± 17.6%, respectively. Dipteran parasitoids were also important natural enemies with 38.3 ± 3.0 and 17.9 ± 1.4% parasitism in fourth and fifth instars, respectively. Virus was found in fewer than 5% of larvae collected. Furia gastropachae showed a marked tendency toward resting spore production in infected larvae, with 100% of larvae collected in New York and >80% of larvae collected in Maryland producing resting spores, either alone or in combination with conidia. The appearance of cadavers of larvae dying from fungal and viral infections was similar. Of 13 species of Lepidoptera exposed to F. gastropachae conidia in host-range bioassays, only 3.3% of Danaus plexippus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Danaidae), 5.6% of Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), and 3.7% of Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) were successfully infected by this fungus.

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The Light Reactions of Larvae of the Tent Caterpillars, Malacosoma disstria Hbn., M. americanum (Fab.), and M. pluviale (Dyar). (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent85297-8 ◽

1953 ◽

Vol 85 (8) ◽

pp. 297-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

C. R. Sullivan ◽

W. G. Wellington

Keyword(s):

Physical Environment ◽

Malacosoma Disstria ◽

General Interest ◽

Deciduous Trees ◽

Physical Factors ◽

Forest Tent Caterpillar ◽

Field Observations ◽

Larval Behaviour ◽

Tent Caterpillars ◽

Tent Caterpillar

The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hbn., and the eastern and western tent caterpillars, M. americanum (Fab.) and M. pluviale (Dyar), are common pests of several species of deciduous trees in Canada. All are colonial during the larval stage, but M. disstria differs from the others in one respect: it does not construct a communal tent. This difference in habit merits special consideration in any comparative study of larval behaviour, particularly in one concerned with the effects of physical factors upon the insects, since a tent modifies the effects of the physical environment considerably. Recently, a series of such studies was carried out, and one part of the work consisted of laboratory and field observations on the light reactions of larvae. The results obtained have raised a number of new questions which unfortunately cannot be answered now, hecause two of the species have been difficult to obtain in quantity since 1950. Nevertheless, the findings are presented here without additional delay, since they are of general interest, and other workers may wish to use them.

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Identification and behavioral assays of the trail pheromone of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z93-213 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 71 (8) ◽

pp. 1511-1515 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

T. D. Fitzgerald ◽

F. X. Webster

Keyword(s):

Trail Pheromone ◽

Malacosoma Disstria ◽

Forest Tent Caterpillar ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Malacosoma Americanum ◽

Eastern Tent Caterpillar ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

True Threshold ◽

Behavioral Assays ◽

Tent Caterpillar

Behavioral assays show that the steroid 5β-cholestan-3-one, isolated from the abdomen of the larva of the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), constitutes the chemical basis of trail following in this insect. Caterpillars follow artificial trails prepared from solvent dilutions of the compound at rates as low as 10−11 g∙mm−11 of trail, though the true threshold sensitivity is likely to be one or two orders of magnitude lower than this. Fourth-instar caterpillars store an average of 58 ng of the pheromone. Field and laboratory studies indicate that the compound is fully competitive with their authentic trails. The caterpillars are highly sensitive to differences in the concentration of the pheromone, preferring stronger trails to weaker trails. The caterpillars also respond to 5β-cholestane-3,24-dione, a chemical not found in M. disstria but known to be a component of the trail pheromone of the eastern tent caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum.

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