Gypsy Moths:Unwelcomed

Invaders

By: Barry Tanner

General Description

OriginScientific name: Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus) - Gypsy moths “GM” are native to temperate hard wood forests of Europe and Asia.

Appearance & SizeA mature female is the bigger of the species with a white body and a two inch wing span. Her wings fold back over her body but she does not fly.A mature male is much smaller and pure brown. His wings are wide spread, and triangular shaped, and he is able to fly.

Life SpanThe life span of a gypsy moth adult (moth) is 10 to 14 days. Its only purpose in life is to reproduce. There is just one generation per year.

Female Male

Diet & Feeding Behaviour & Food Gypsy moths are considered Phyllophagous insect or leaf eaters. They are also known as free-living defoliator because the larvae over-consume the foliage of hardwood trees. These host trees are American beech, apples, ashes, balsam fir, cherries, plums, eastern hemlock, gray birch, hickory, larches , tamaracks, pines, poplars, aspens, cottonwoods, red maple, red oak, spruces, sugar maple, trembling aspen, white birch, white elm, willow, and so on.

Gypsy moth caterpillars feed on developing leaves and buds in May. Newly hatched larvae feed by chewing small holes in the surface of the leaves. Once matured into a moth they do not eat and die soon after mating and laying their eggs.

Gypsy moths were first discovered in British Columbia in 1912. Spongy egg masses were found on young cedars imported from Japan. They were destroyed before hatching. Canada’s first infestation was in 1924 in southwestern Quebec, near the U.S. border. The second infestation happened in 1936 in New Brunswick. The bugs were destroyed by massive egg removal operations. The moths were again discovered in Quebec in 1955. The moths managed to evade the efforts of Canada's government and have become entrenched in southern Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Population size differ yearly, depending on the region. It now thrives in eastern US and Canada.Note: Gypsy moths were introduced to the US in 1868 by a French scientist, Leopold Trouvelot. He imported gypsy moth eggs to experiment in making a silk caterpillar hybridthat could be disease resistant. Several moths escapedfrom his lab during a wind storm, and the rest is history. It is now one of the most infamous insect pests in North America

Arrival into Canada

Canada: before the “GM”

With a balanced and healthy ecosystem, Canada’s forests thrived. Biodiversity was everywhere.Natural disasters and diseases were the main challenges for our forests.

Canada: after the “GM”

Total defoliation

Many thousands of acres of Canadian forests have been totally defoliated each year by “GM”. Some trees recover but many die because they cannot perform photo-synthesis due to lack of leaves. Serious infestations of “GM” can cause a major drop in the biodiversity of trees in certain areas.

Problems“GM” have caused many problems that could have been avoided, such as:

• wide spread destruction of timber makes them useless to loggers.

• nuts, berries, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens are also targets which directly affects human economy.

Nectarine tree Squash plant

Oak tree

Nuisance Factor

• when the caterpillars shed their hairs they can affect allergies of humans.

• when the caterpillars explode in population any outdoor activity can be ruined by caterpillar poop or invasions.

Promising Solutions

Forest Pest Management Spray Programs use both chemical & artificial pesticides registered with the government for caterpillar management. These chemicals must be sprayed when the caterpillars are juvenile for best effect.

Tangle Foot Pest Barriers can be placed around tree trunks to help control the caterpillars movement in and out of the tree canopy.

Biological Controls

Fungal spores

Caterpillar cadavers (brown things inside box) are covering a tree treated with biological controls.

Egg parasite

Baculoviruses (Virus)

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bacteria)

Scientists have found that “GM” has naturally occurring enemies that can help turn the table for the trees. Examples are the following:

Predators (deer mice)

“GM” Management Guide

for HomeownersMID-OCTOBER—MID-APRIL: Obliterate egg masses.

LATE APRIL: put barrier bands on tree trunks.

MAY–JUNE: use insecticides.

EARLY JUNE: change barrier bands with collection bands.

Collection band closed

Collection band open

Bibliography• http://imfc.cfl.scf.rncan.gc.ca/insecte-insect-eng.asp?geID=9506• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_gypsy_moth_called_the_gypsy_

moth• http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_pnotes/gypsy-spongieuse/in

dex-eng.php• http://zimmerair.com/services/forest-pests/• http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/news/438• http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/gypsy-moth-control.html• http://www.uwex.edu/ces/gypsymoth/homeowners.cfm• http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/eurogypsymoth.shtml• http://www.Google.ca

By: Barry Tanner