POPULATION STUDIES ON THE WINTER MOTH OPEROPHTERA BRUMATA (L.) (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE) IN APPLE ORCHARDS IN NOVA SCOTIA

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. MacPhee ◽  
A. Newton ◽  
K.B. McRae

AbstractThe winter moth Operophtera brumata (L.) is a serious introduced pest of apple trees in Nova Scotia. It spread westward through orchards of the Annapolis Valley in the 1950’s and to other deciduous trees throughout Nova Scotia later. The parasites Cyzenis albicans (Fall.) and Agrypon flaveolatum (Grav.) were liberated during 1961 in Nova Scotia and gradually spread throughout the winter moth population. Population dynamics studies were conducted in insecticide-free orchards and corroborated with observations in neglected unsprayed apple trees over a wide area. The winter moth population reached a balanced level in unsprayed orchards at varying densities below the limits of its food supply, but well above an acceptable level for commercial apple production. In young orchards, where trees cover a small percentage of the ground, natural dispersal of larvae appeared to be a suppressing factor. In mature orchards mortality was density dependent during the prepupal to adult stage; mortality was partly due to parasitism and predation but also to other factors.

1961 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G. Cuming

In the early 1930's defoliation of red oak, Quercus rubra L., white elm, Ulmus americana L., apple, Malus spp., and other deciduous trees in the South Shore region of Nova Scotia was attributed to the fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harr.), and the spring cankerworm, Paleacrita vernata (Peck). The identity of the latter was questioned when adults occurred in the fall. These adults were sutbsequently identified as Operophtera brumata (L.), the winter moth (Hawboldt and Cuming, 1950; Smith, 1950).


1960 ◽  
Vol 92 (11) ◽  
pp. 862-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Embree

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.


1958 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 595-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Graham

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.


1989 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Barron

AbstractAgrypon flaveolatum (Gravenhorst), introduced from Europe to control the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), on apple and oak in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, was distinguished from the closely related native species, A. provancheri (Dalla Torre) and A. alaskensis (Ashmead). A detailed study of the three species revealed that they could be distinguished by specific morphological characters and by results of morphometric analyses of intra- and inter-specific variation of number of annuli of the antennal flagellum. The history of introductions of both the host and parasite is reviewed, including an account of host–parasite interactions. All of the characters defining species entities were found to be correlated with differences in host insect, host plant, and distribution.


Author(s):  
И.А. Уткина ◽  
В.В. Рубцов

Дубовая широкоминирующая моль Acrocercops brongniardella (Fabricius, 1798) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) давно известный и массово размножающийся в дубравах европейской части России, Украины, странах Западной Европы вид филлофаговминёров. В последние два десятилетия появились свидетельства увеличения её численности в ряде регионов. Вместе с тем до сих пор остаются пробелы в знаниях об особенностях развития этого вида. По мнению одних ученых, моль производит одно поколение в год, других два. Такое расхождение может быть связано с разной погодной ситуацией в разных местообитаниях или изменяющимися условиями одного и того же местообитания. При одновременном массовом размножении дубовой широкоминирующей моли и зимней пяденицы Operophtera brumata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) дефолиация крон обеих феноформ дуба происходит поразному, что связано с тем, что первичную листву ранней формы дуба, повреждённую зимней пяденицей, моль не заселяет и начинает минировать листья дуба поздней и промежуточных форм, не повреждённых зимней пяденицей, что увеличивает уровень их дефолиации. После окукливания зимней пяденицы, при появлении на раннем дубе нежной вторичной листвы, дубовая широкоминирующая моль успешно её осваивает. Деревья дуба при этом испытывают более продолжительное и интенсивное повреждение листвы разных генераций, что сказывается на их текущем состоянии и дальнейшем развитии. Таким образом, при высокой плотности популяции зимней пяденицы она оказывает определенное давление на популяцию дубовой широкоминирующей моли, лишая её возможности питаться весенней листвой дуба ранней формы. Лёт бабочек дубовой широкоминирующей моли ежегодно продолжительный в течение всего летнего периода он проходит очень неравномерно в разных типах дубрав и существенно зависит от погодных условий. Ее высокая вредоносность сохраняется. Вспышка зимней пяденицы прекратилась после сильных морозов в январе феврале 2012 г. The brown oak slender Acrocercops brongniardella (F., 1798) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) is a wellknown species of leaf miners that has been widely reproducing in oak forests of the European part of Russia, Ukraine, and Western European countries. In the past two decades, evidence of an increase in its abundance and population density in some regions has appeared. However, there are still gaps in knowledge on the development features of this species. According to some authors, the moth produces one generation per year, while other authors indicate two. This discrepancy may be due to different weather conditions in different habitats, or the change in conditions of the same habitat. With simultaneous mass reproduction of the brown oak slender and the winter moth Operophtera brumata (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), the defoliation of the crowns of both phenological forms of the oak occurs differently, due to the fact that the primary foliage of the early form of the oak damaged by the winter moth, the brown oak slender does not colonize and begins to mine the leaves of the oak of the late and intermediate forms not damaged by the winter moth. This increases the level of defoliation. After pupation of the winter moth, when delicate secondary foliage appears on early oak, the brown oak slender successfully utilizes it. At this point, oak trees experience a more prolonged and intensive damage to the foliage of different generations, which affects their current state and further development. Thus, at a high density of the winter moth population, it exerts a certain pressure on the population of the brown oak slender, depriving it of the opportunity to feed on the spring foliage of the earlyshaped oak. The flight of the brown oak slender is annually long, during the whole summer, but it occurs very unevenly in different types of oak forests and significantly depends on the weather conditions. The damage caused by the brown oak slender is still high. The outbreak of the winter moth stopped after a severe frost in January February of 2012.


1966 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
pp. 1159-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Embree

AbstractThe history of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Linnaeus), a geometrid introduced into Nova Scotia, is reviewed and an assessment is made of two introduced parasites: a tachinid, Cyzenis albicans (Fallen), and an ichneumonid, Agrypon flaveolatum (Gravenhorst). Functional response curves of both species are discussed, particularly the atypical S-shaped curve of C. albicans, which demonstrates regulatory properties. Biological control efforts to date have been successful but a virus that appeared in winter moth populations may change initial relationships between the introduced parasites and the host.


1970 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly H. Rasmy ◽  
A. W. MacPhee

AbstractFifty-seven species of 27 families of mites associated with apple trees in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, were recorded. Five species were phytophagous, 34 species were presumably predacious, and 18 species were presumably scavengers and fungus feeders.


2016 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.P. Havill ◽  
J. Elkinton ◽  
J.C. Andersen ◽  
S.B. Hagen ◽  
Hannah J. Broadley ◽  
...  

AbstractThe European winter moth, Operophtera brumata, is a non-native pest in the Northeastern USA causing defoliation of forest trees and crops such as apples and blueberries. This species is known to hybridize with O. bruceata, the Bruce spanworm, a native species across North America, although it is not known if there are hybrid generations beyond F1. To study winter moth population genetics and hybridization with Bruce spanworm, we developed two sets of genetic markers, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites, using genomic approaches. Both types of markers were validated using samples from the two species and their hybrids. We identified 1216 SNPs and 24 variable microsatellite loci. From them we developed a subset of 95 species-diagnostic SNPs and ten microsatellite loci that could be used for hybrid identification. We further validated the ten microsatellite loci by screening field collected samples of both species and putative hybrids. In addition to confirming the presence of F1 hybrids reported in previous studies, we found evidence for multi-generation asymmetric hybridization, as suggested by the occurrence of hybrid backcrosses with the winter month, but not with the Bruce spanworm. Laboratory crosses between winter moth females and Bruce spanworm males resulted in a higher proportion of viable eggs than the reciprocal cross, supporting this pattern. We discuss the possible roles of population demographics, sex chromosome genetic incompatibility, and bacterial symbionts as causes of this asymmetrical hybridization and the utility of the developed markers for future studies.


1967 ◽  
Vol 99 (8) ◽  
pp. 829-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. MacPhee

AbstractThe winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), a recent introduction to North America, is a serious pest of apple in Nova Scotia. Natural controls, mainly the parasite Cyzenis albicans (Fall.), reduce its rate of increase, and selective chemical controls are applied to maintain economic levels. Its maximum density is limited by its food supply in neglected orchards. The mean freezing point of O. brumata winter eggs is −31°F. Egg mortality increases appreciably with increase of duration of exposure to low temperatures in the −26°F to −34°F vulnerable range. It seems probable that winter moth will continue to spread slowly over much of Eastern North America.


1967 ◽  
Vol 99 (7) ◽  
pp. 728-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari S. Chachoria

The apple mealybug, Phenacoccus aceris Sig., has been a pest of apple trees periodicallv since an outbreak was reported by Gilliatt in 1935. The writer investigated mortality in its population during the summer of 1966 in connection with the current sporadic outbreak in the Annapolis Valley. Decline of outbreaks was attributed bv Marshall and Pickett (1944) to attacks by the parasite Allotropa utilis (Mues.) (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), and the abundance of this parasite in the current upsurge in mealybugs suggests it is an important factor. Mr. K. H. Sanford (personal communication) estimated approximately 58% of the mealybugs in the winter of 1965–1966 and about 80% in the winter of 1966–1967 were parasitized by this species.


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