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

1958 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 538-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Smith

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.


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).



1956 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Reeks

The Forest Insect Survey of the Maritime Provinces has been observing an outbreak of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Linn.), since its discovery in Nova Scotia in 1949. In addition to noting annual changes in distribution, the Survey has made population counts on 8 to 20 tagged trees of red oak, Quercus rubra L., at each of seven locations along the south shore of the Province. These trees were sampled each year to show the abundance of larvae of the winter moth and the fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harr.). Both species are commonly found on the same trees, and their life histories are similar. The collections and subsequent rearings also showed the degree of parasitism by native or introduced species of parasites. The defoliation of the trees was estimated at the time of sampling and again at the end of the feeding period to determine the relationship between larval population and defoliation. Some of the sampling data, which were collected from 1952 to 1955, are used to develap the sequential plan of sampling described herein. Use of the plan at the sampling stations should reduce the number of samples while retaining accuracy within predetermined limits.



1954 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
pp. 433-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Morris ◽  
W. A. Reeks

The winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Linn.), was not known to occur in North America until 1949, when it was first reported from the south shore of Nova Scotia by Hawholdt and Cuming (2) and Smith (4). By that time this introduced species was well established. It is suspected that the winter moth in association with the fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harr.), has been causing considerable defoliation of deciduous tree species in the region since the early 1930's (2). The habits and stages of the winter moth have been described briefly by Smith (S), who also has indicated the important differences between the winter moth and the fall cankerworm (4).



2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1162-1172
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn O’donnell ◽  
Joseph Elkinton ◽  
Charlene Donahue ◽  
Eleanor Groden

Abstract The winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.) is an invasive forest and agricultural pest in North America that causes severe defoliation to a wide range of host species. This study examines the differential larval densities, development, and survival on seven host species in midcoast Maine: red oak (Quercus rubra L., Fagales: Fagaceae), apple (Malus domestica L., Rosales: Rosaceae) and crab apple (Malus sp. L., Rosales: Rosaceae), red maple (Acer rubrum L., Sapindales: Sapindaceae), pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L., Rosales: Rosaceae), white birch (Betula papyrifera L., Fagales: Betulaceae), wild lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustiflolium L., Ericales: Ericaceae), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L., Ericales: Ericaceae). We also explore the degree of synchrony between selected host plants and larval hatch and its effect on survival. We found that densities, development, and survival were significantly greater on red oak (Quercus rubra) and apple (Malus sp.) than on all other target species and were lowest on pin cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica). We found low larval densities in open, wild lowbush blueberry fields; however, larvae successfully fed and developed on wild lowbush blueberry in a laboratory setting. This suggests that winter moth is a potential pest to wild lowbush blueberry in Maine if the outbreak expands to include areas with wild lowbush blueberry production.



2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Malinowski ◽  
Zofia Szczotka

In Norway maple (<em>Acer platanoides</em> L.) seeds, during dormancy breakage there appeared some qualitative changes in protein composition of the cotyledons. After 48h of soaking and in the first week of stratification, the number of different proteins decreased. This decrease in number of proteins was probably associated with the effect of hydration of embryo tissue. Protein patterns from imbibed seeds exposed to cold (3<sup>o</sup>C) and warm (15<sup>o</sup>C) treatments were not significantly different. The influence of temperature on protein patterns became visible in the third week of stratification, when a few new proteins appeared. One of them, designated B, appeared only during cold stratification before radicles protrusion. They were also present in seeds that had completed germination. These proteins are presumably associated with the process of dormancy breakage.



2009 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 261-275
Author(s):  
A. H. Tsurykau ◽  
V. M. Khramchankova

47 lichen species of 21 genera and 7 families are determined in the town of Gomel. Some features of their distribution in Gomel were studied. No correlation has been found between the number of lichen species on a tree and its trunk diameter. Different tree species were found to have different sets of lichen species. Bark pH values were defined for 11 tree species in Gomel. Three groups of tree species have been distinguished by bark pH. The first group includes Acer negundo with the bark pH = 7.17, Populus balsamifera — 6.66, and P. nigra — 6.63; the second one: Acer platanoides — pH = 6.12, Fraxinus excelsior — 5.77, Tilia cordata — 5.53; the third: Aesculus hippocastanum — pH = 4.95, Betula pubescens — 4.89, B. pendula — 4.88, Quercus robur — 4.79, Acer saccharinum — 4.74. Certain species of lichens are confined to these groups: Physconia sp. colonizes trees of the first group (pH 6.0-8.0); Hypogymnia physodes, Evernia prunastri, Melanohalea exasperatula grow on trees of the third group (pH 4.0-5.5); trees of the second group (pH 4.5-6.5) provide a suitable substrate for the most lichen species.



1985 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Humble

AbstractThree native species of parasites and 3 hyperparasites were reared from pupae of the European winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), and the Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata (Hulst), collected in the Victoria area of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1981. Two of the pupal parasites also attacked other species of Geometridae. Two species of hyperparasites attacked Cyzenis sp., and the third parasitized ichneumonid primary parasites of Operophtera spp. The hyperparasites may have a negative impact on the biological-control agents, Cyzenis albicans (Fall.) and Agrypon flaveolatum (Grav.). Total parasitism by pupal parasites of the Operophtera host complex was about 4%. Descriptions and illustrations of cephalic structures of final-instar larvae of the parasites and a key for their separation are given.



2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 42-61
Author(s):  
O. G. Lucyshyn ◽  
I. K. Teslenko

The recent ecological situation of Kyiv megalopolis has a special specific of environment technogenic pollution as a chemical features and content of polluting phytotoxicants. During 2007–2012, our observation revealed what the most dangerous factors which have harm impact on the street woody plants are the huge concentration of phytotoxic elements (Na+, Cl-, Pb2+, Cd2+). Nowadays, the technogenic impact on the megalopolyisis surrounding comes to the dangerous, even, catastrophic level. The main reason of total and chloral necrose of leaves, the summer defoliation of crown and major tree's death is the over pollution of the soil and plant's phytomass by phytotoxic elements, the concentration of which by standards evaluation and by trees reactions are critical and exists at the level of adaptation possibility and survival. The main sources of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions are transport outcomes (> 90 % of total technogenic pollution). The increasing of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in the soil is depended from intensivity of transport outcomes, using of ethylated petrol, and location of trees along roads as well as from the trees species. Continuously increasing of number of cars at the city streets is accompanying with similar increasing of ions concentration. Thus, in the soil around root system of street woody plants, depending from their location along roads, the concentration of Pb2+ (moving form) is between 41,7 (I. Kudri str.) and 102,6 mg\kg of soil (Nauki avenue). It exceeds the maximum permissible concentration (MPC), which is 20,8–51,3 mg\kg of soil. Next, for Norway maple (Acer platanoides) the concentration of Pb2+ in the soil varies from 41,7 to 80,5 mg / kg of soil in the area of the root system and it is around 20,8–40,2 MPC. In the leaves of this tree it is 7,83–13,5 mg / kg of dry mass (MPC is 15,8–27,0). For the horse chestnut (Aedculus hippocastanum) at the Nauka avenue, the concentration of plumbum in the root is 13,4 mg / kg (MPC is 26,8), in the cortex – 17,7 mg / kg (MPC is 35,4), in leaves – 8,21 mg / kg (MPC is 16,4), which by the normative evaluation are the critical concentrations. The source of Na+ and Cl-, which is a new factor for Kyiv megalopolis, is irregular load of high concentrations of industrial salt NaCl into the environment, as a way against black ice in winter time, where the Na+ ions ( mobile form) is in the high concentrations in leaves (0,76 % for Norway maple (Acer platanoides) on the I. Kudri str., 1,28 % – small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) at the 40-richya Zhovtnya ave, 2,0 % – horse chestnut (Aedculus hippocastanum) at the Nauki ave), those are exceeded the concentration of the element comparing to the control test object, respectively, in 10,6, 12,8 and 5,0 times. Na+ ions are an aggressive phytotoxins and the main factor of leaves necrose of tree crown (within 70–100 % necrosis leaves in the crown). Degradation and total reduction of the specific weight of plants in the megalopolis environment are decrease the cleaning role of the street tree plants, which are the main alive filters for soil and air cleaning, as well as the main bioaccumulators and detoxicants of harm substances of anthropogenic pollution. Species adaptive specificity is revealed at the bioaccumulation level and the selective locality of phytotoxic elements (Na+, Cl-, Pb2+, Cd2+, agile form) in technourbanhabitats-pic conditions, there dominated bioaccumulation and localization of Na+ ions by trees assimilative system is caused the adaptive orientation of endogenic and intraspecific variability of phytoindicative morphophysiologic features of plants functional condition under the stressing factors. This also is defined the sensitivity of small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata Mill.), norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) to the big concentration of potassium as the most danger one for the plant survival. The biggest accumulation of Na+ ions at the roots of Lombardy poplar (Populus pyramidalis Roz.), Bolle's poplar (Populus bolleana Lauche) and sugar maple (Acer saccharinum L.) is lead to a higher resistance of their assimilation system. At the technourbohabitate-pic conditions, the level of realization of ontogenetic and phylogenetic adaptive capacity of the sensitive species of trees is harmfully low (21,3–44,3 %). It is at the level of survival/death of plants. The street Lombardy poplar, Bolle's poplar and sugar maple, despite of more higher level of their adaptation (68,4–87,7 %), still also can't fully adapt to the critical levels of technogenic pollution of megalopolis environment. 



2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 160361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne l-M-Arnold ◽  
Maren Grüning ◽  
Judy Simon ◽  
Annett-Barbara Reinhardt ◽  
Norbert Lamersdorf ◽  
...  

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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