THE ROLE OF CHEMOTACTIC STIMULI IN THE FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF SPRUCE BUDWORM LARVAE ON WHITE SPRUCE

1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Heron

The effects of chemical stimuli on the feeding behavior of penultimate-instar larvae of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), were investigated, especially in relation to the relative acceptability of staminate flowers, new vegetative shoots, and mature needles of white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss.Phagostimulants were extracted from the host plant tissues with 80% ethanol. Some substances known to be present in the extracts and some related compounds were investigated individually. The only substances that induced feeding responses in these tests were a number of sugars and the amino acid L-proline.In choice tests ethanol extracts of the staminate flowers were more acceptable than extracts of the shoots, and shoot extracts were more acceptable than extracts of the mature needles.The various host tissues differ quantitatively and qualitatively in the occurrence of some substances that significantly affect feeding behavior. The concentration of total sugars is greatest in the staminate flowers and least in the mature needles. Sugar concentration influenced feeding; the highest concentration encountered in the extracts evoked the greatest response. The difference in response to extracts of the various tissues was not attributable simply to differences in the sugar concentration.Staminate flowers contain much greater amounts of the amino acid L-proline than do the other tissues. Larvae offered a choice of sucrose plus L-proline or sucrose alone fed preferentially on the mixture. Similar but somewhat less pronounced responses were also noted with the related compounds, hydroxy-L-proline and L-glutamic acid.Pungenin occurs in appreciable amounts in mature spruce needles but is absent from, or present only in trace amounts, in new vegetative shoots. This glucoside deterred feeding but the difference in responses of larvae to extracts of the shoots and mature needles was not solely attributable to this effect. Shikimic acid and caffeic acid each stimulated feeding when present in mixture with sucrose. They may influence the differential feeding responses to the shoots and mature needles.

1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Lawrence ◽  
William J. Mattson ◽  
Robert A. Haack

AbstractSynchrony of insect and host tree phenologies has often been suggested as an important factor influencing the susceptibility of white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, and other hosts to the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). We evaluated this hypothesis by caging several cohorts of spruce budworm larvae on three white spruce populations at different phenological stages of the host trees, and then comparing budworm performance with host phenology and variation of 13 foliar traits. The beginning of the phenological window of susceptibility in white spruce occurs several weeks prior to budbreak, and the end of the window is sharply defined by the end of shoot growth. Performance was high for the earliest budworm cohorts that we tested. These larvae began feeding 3–4 weeks prior to budbreak and completed their larval development prior to the end of shoot elongation. Optimal synchrony occurred when emergence preceded budbreak by about 2 weeks. Larval survival was greater than 60% for individuals starting development 1–3 weeks prior to budbreak, but decreased to less than 10% for those starting development 2 or more weeks after budbreak and thus completing development after shoot elongation ceased. High performance by the budworm was most strongly correlated with high levels of foliar nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, copper, sugars, and water and low levels of foliar calcium, phenolics, and toughness. These results suggest that advancing the usual phenological window of white spruce (i.e. advancing budbreak prior to larval emergence) or retarding budworm phenology can have a large negative effect on the spruce budworm’s population dynamics.


Heredity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Méndez-Espinoza ◽  
Geneviève J. Parent ◽  
Patrick Lenz ◽  
André Rainville ◽  
Laurence Tremblay ◽  
...  

1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1005-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Kimmins

The amino acids of new and old foliage of flowering and non-flowering balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) were investigated using two-dimensional descending paper chromatography. The data were analyzed for variation associated with age of foliage, age of tree, and flowering condition. The concentration of foliar amino acids was greater in balsam fir than in white spruce, and greater in new foliage than old foliage.The difference in concentration between foliage of flowering and non-flowering trees was smaller. However, the new foliage of flowering fir had higher levels of most of the amino acids examined than any other foliage category. This appears to reflect the known suitability of these foliage categories for spruce budworm larvae. While the data presented do not quantify the ecological significance of this apparent correlation, they do support the theory that variations in the nutritional quality of host plants play a very important role in the dynamics of herbivore populations.


1981 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 949-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Fogal ◽  
D. A. Winston ◽  
S. M. Lopushanski ◽  
D. A. MacLeod ◽  
A. J. Willcocks

White spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, is a major commercial tree species used in reforestation programs throughout Canada, and seed requirements cannot be met in some years because of insect damage and the periodic nature of cone crops. The spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), feeds on buds and cones of its hosts, causing a pronounced decrease in cone production (Schooley 1978). A current outbreak in northeastern Ontario poses a serious threat to white spruce seed supply from high value, managed seed production areas. Therefore, in 1979, we began an experiment to determine whether carbofuran, a systemic insecticide, could be used to protect buds and cones when applied to soil. We chose carbofuran because it has proved successful for control of some insects in seed orchards in the southeastern United States (DeBarr 1978)


1958 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Blais

The relationship between spruce budworm defoliation and radial growth at breast height for balsam fir and white spruce trees of merchantable size was studied in various stands in northwestern Ontario. Defoliation was recorded yearly for these stands from the beginning of the infestation, and radial growth measurements were obtained from increment cores. The first year of radial growth suppression was calculated by comparing the growth of the affected species with that of jack pine and red pine trees by means of a growth-ratio technique. Apparent suppression in balsam fir and white spruce varied between stands, and, generally, occurred at the earliest in the second year and at the latest in the fourth year of severe defoliation. A wide ring at the base of the tree coinciding with the first year of suppression as reported by Craighead was non-existent.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie R. Patton ◽  
Matthew B. Russell ◽  
Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione ◽  
Christopher B. Edgar

White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) plantations have historically been an important source of high-quality forest products in the Great Lakes Region of North America. Thinning in spruce plantations is a common silvicultural practice for reducing competition and promoting resiliency to forest health threats such as eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens), a native forest pest of eastern North America. Spruce budworm larvae feed on the foliage of trees, which reduces growth and potentially causes mortality during an outbreak. There has been continual spruce budworm defoliation in northern Minnesota, U.S.A., since the mid-1950s, with higher levels of defoliation in the late 1990s. This research modeled the diameter growth response of white spruce 18 years after initial thinning in stands that presently range between 44 and 64 years old. Some stands received a second thinning in recent years. We used generalized nonlinear least squares and nonlinear mixed-effects models to estimate annual diameter growth using common tree and stand metrics. Growth model performance was improved by including thinning and frequency of spruce budworm defoliation as modifiers of diameter growth. Results of this study highlight how thinning in combination with insect disturbance affect diameter growth in white spruce plantations of northern Minnesota.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 1138-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L. Frasz ◽  
Allison K. Walker ◽  
Tienabe K. Nsiama ◽  
Gregory W. Adams ◽  
J. David Miller

Phialocephala scopiformis Kowalski & Kehr is a foliar fungal endophyte of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) that produces the anti-insect compound rugulosin and other compounds in lower amounts. Seedlings inoculated with this and other toxigenic endophytes have increased tolerance to the spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens, 1865). The presence of rugulosin in the diet and in needles infected by P. scopiformis reduces the growth rate of the insect. One of 300 white spruce trees inoculated as a seedling in 2001 was chosen to investigate the distribution of P. scopiformis and its principal toxin rugulosin throughout the crown. To facilitate the detection of the fungus in small samples, a qPCR assay was developed based on the ITS region of fungal ribosomal DNA targeting a genetic polymorphism unique to P. scopiformis. The assay was specific, with a method limit of detection 100 ng mycelium per gram needle sample with high reproducibility and accuracy. We found that 11 years after inoculation, P. scopiformis DAOM 229536 and its toxin were detectable in needle samples distributed throughout the crown. Of the 109 samples tested, 100% of the rugulosin-positive samples also tested positive for P. scopiformis DAOM 229536 DNA in the qPCR assay. The mean and median needle rugulosin concentrations were >2 times that required to reduce the growth of spruce budworm.


2006 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary G. Grant

AbstractI conducted dual-choice oviposition bioassays to test the hypothesis that spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), prefer the foliage architecture (spatial arrangement of foliage needles) of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss; Pinaceae) to that of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) P. Mill.; Pinaceae). Needles of white spruce radiate around the twig axis, giving the foliage a round architecture. Needles of balsam fir typically radiate bilaterally from the twig axis, giving the foliage a flat architecture, although on some trees foliage needles radiate around the twig axis, giving the foliage a round architecture. In bioassays, females showed a 2.4:1 preference for white spruce over "flat" balsam fir foliage, but this preference was reduced significantly to a 1.2:1 ratio when balsam fir had a round architecture. Given a choice between "round" and "flat" balsam fir foliage, females preferred the "round" foliage by a 2.2:1 margin. A similar preference for the round architecture was also observed when artificial (plastic) foliage with the two types of needle arrangements were compared. I conclude that the spatial arrangement of foliage needles is a major factor responsible for the oviposition preference of spruce budworm for white spruce over balsam fir.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Quiring ◽  
Leah Flaherty ◽  
Greg Adams ◽  
Andrew McCartney ◽  
J. David Miller ◽  
...  

A two-year field study was carried out to determine whether inoculating white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, with a native endophytic fungus, Phialocephala scopiformis DAOM 229536 Kowalski & Kehr (Helotiales, Ascomycota), decreased the performance of eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens, developing on these trees. Second instars were reared at three densities in the mid crown and at one density in the lower, mid, and upper crown. Larval survival (i.e., survival of larvae to pupation) was lower on endophyte-inoculated trees than on control trees in the mid crown and especially the upper crown but was similar in the lower crown, resulting in a significant interaction between endophyte and crown level. A similar but marginally insignificant interaction was observed for overall survival up to adult emergence (i.e., total survival). Larval survival and total survival were approximately 22% and 19% lower, respectively, when developing in the upper crown of endophyte-inoculated trees than in control trees. Larval survival remained relatively constant, with increased density on control trees but decreased with density on endophyte-inoculated trees, resulting in a significant interaction between endophyte and larval density. Sex ratios of emerged adults and wing lengths of emerged females were not influenced by the endophyte. Our results suggest that endophytic fungi could be useful additions to integrated pest management programs.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Quiring ◽  
Greg Adams ◽  
Andrew McCartney ◽  
Sara Edwards ◽  
J. David Miller

Wild eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) were reared on white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) trees, half of which had been previously inoculated with a native endophytic fungus, Phialocephala scopiformis DAOM 229536 Kowalski and Kehr (Helotiales, Ascomycota). Survival up to pupation and up to adult emergence was approximately 27% higher for budworm juveniles that developed on control trees compared to trees inoculated with the endophyte. The endophyte did not influence the size or sex of survivors but did reduce defoliation by approximately 30%. Reductions in defoliation on endophyte-inoculated versus control trees, due to reductions in survival of juvenile budworms, suggests that tree inoculations with P. scopiformis could play an important role in integrated management programs against the eastern spruce budworm.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document