scholarly journals Monitoring and Management of the Pine Processionary Moth in the North-Western Italian Alps

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1253
Author(s):  
Chiara Ferracini ◽  
Valerio Saitta ◽  
Cristina Pogolotti ◽  
Ivan Rollet ◽  
Flavio Vertui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating Disruption ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
The North ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
The Mean

The pine processionary moth (PPM), Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), is considered one of the main insect defoliators of conifers in Southern Europe and North Africa. The species is oligophagous on pines and cedars in Mediterranean countries. This 6-year investigation (2014–2019), carried out in Aosta Valley (NW Italy), on Pinus sylvestris L. aimed to: (i) Monitor the PPM population with pheromone-baited funnel traps; (ii) assess the infestation index (0–5 classes) according to the degree of defoliation; and (iii) apply control strategies, namely Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) and mating disruption (MD). In total, 9618 ha were visually monitored and assigned an infestation index. The percentage of woodland stands that were strongly defoliated by PPM (infestation index ≥ 3) increased progressively between 2015 and 2016, affecting from 8% to 19% of the total area monitored; this area decreased to 16% and 13% in 2017 and 2018, respectively, followed by an abrupt decline to 4% in 2019. Both Btk applications and mating disruption significantly reduced the infestation. Where Btk was applied, the rate of larval mortality ranged from 79.47% to 98.43%; conversely, in the control plots, the larval mortality was, on average, 1.56%. The mean number of PPM males captured in traps was significantly lower in the plots where MD was performed, ranging from 8.36 ± 2.37 to 13.47 ± 4.68. The mean number of males captured in the control plots was, on average, 119.16 ± 12.68. The total number of nests recorded per tree was significantly lower in MD plots, ranging from 0.41 ± 0.05 to 0.94 ± 0.14. In the control plots, there were, on average, 4.37 ± 0.76 nests per tree. As already documented for several defoliating forestry insect pests, both Btk and mating disruption proved effective in controlling PPM infestations, and thus, microbial insecticides should be strongly encouraged and adopted by forest managers.

Interactions between pupae of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) and parasitoids in a Pinus forest

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 621-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.P. Bonsignore ◽  
F. Manti ◽  
E. Castiglione
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Parasitoid Species ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Forest Lepidoptera

AbstractParasitoids are significant enemies of many economically important insects and there is some evidence to suggest that their actions have a role in terminating the outbreaks of forest Lepidoptera populations. In this study, we examined the impact of parasitoids on the pupae of the pine processionary moth, and highlighted the presence of several parasitoid species for this developmental stage. A higher rate of parasitism was found when the pupal density in the soil was reduced, but the rate of parasitism was not influenced by pupal morphological traits or by the presence or absence of a cocoon around a pupa. Of the external factors examined, a delay in the time of descent of larvae from the trees had a positive effect on the level of parasitism. Observational data indicated that dipteran and hymenopteran were the most abundant parasitoids to emerge from moth pupae. Our study highlights the complexity of the parasitoid–host dynamics, and stresses the importance of carefully determining environmental effects on host–parasitoid relations.

scholarly journals Bats from different foraging guilds prey upon the pine processionary moth

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inazio Garin ◽  
Joxerra Aihartza ◽  
Urtzi Goiti ◽  
Aitor Arrizabalaga-Escudero ◽  
Jesús Nogueras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Forest Pest ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Dispersal Behavior ◽  
Foraging Guilds ◽  
Typical Prey

Outbreaks of the processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775), a forest pest from the Palearctic, are thought to induce a behavioral response of bats, but up to now the moth has been seldom identified as bats’ prey. Studies on bat diets suggest moths with cyclical outbreaks attract a wide array of bat species from different foraging guilds. We test whether bats feed upon T. pityocampa in the Iberian Peninsula irrespective of the predator’s ecological and morphological features. We found that seven out of ten bat species belonging to different foraging guilds contained T. pityocampa DNA in their faeces and no difference was found in the foraging frequency among foraging guilds. A different size of the typical prey or the lack of fondness for moths can explain the absence of the pest in some bat species. Moreover, the intraspecific foraging frequency of T. pityocampa also changed with the sampling site likely representing differential availability of the moth. Lack of information on flight and dispersal behavior or the tympanate nature of the adult moth complicates understanding how different foraging guilds of bats prey upon the same prey. Our data suggests that T. pityocampa is a remarkable food source for many thousands of individual bats in the study area and we anticipate that more bats besides the species studied here are consuming this moth.

scholarly journals In Search of Pathogens: Transcriptome-Based Identification of Viral Sequences from the Pine Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

Viruses ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 456-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Jakubowska ◽  
Remziye Nalcacioglu ◽  
Anabel Millán-Leiva ◽  
Alejandro Sanz-Carbonell ◽  
Hacer Muratoglu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
Viral Sequences

scholarly journals Calibrating the Severity of Forest Defoliation by Pine Processionary Moth with Landsat and UAV Imagery

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 3278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Otsu ◽  
Magda Pla ◽  
Jordi Vayreda ◽  
Lluís Brotons
Keyword(s):  
Forest Health ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Stress Index ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth

The pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Dennis and Schiff.), one of the major defoliating insects in Mediterranean forests, has become an increasing threat to the forest health of the region over the past two decades. After a recent outbreak of T. pityocampa in Catalonia, Spain, we attempted to estimate the damage severity by capturing the maximum defoliation period over winter between pre-outbreak and post-outbreak images. The difference in vegetation index (dVI) derived from Landsat 8 was used as the change detection indicator and was further calibrated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery. Regression models between predicted dVIs and observed defoliation degrees by UAV were compared among five selected dVIs for the coefficient of determination. Our results found the highest R-squared value (0.815) using Moisture Stress Index (MSI), with an overall accuracy of 72%, as a promising approach for estimating the severity of defoliation in affected areas where ground-truth data is limited. We concluded with the high potential of using UAVs as an alternative method to obtain ground-truth data for cost-effectively monitoring forest health. In future studies, combining UAV images with satellite data may be considered to validate model predictions of the forest condition for developing ecosystem service tools.

scholarly journals Biocontrol of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis andSchiffermuller, 1775) with plant extracts

2019 ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
M. Kherroubi ◽  
F. Mouhouche ◽  
Z. Zerrouk Izzeddine ◽  
M. Chahbar
Keyword(s):  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Lethal Dose ◽  
Probit Analysis ◽  
Populus Nigra ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Taxus Baccata ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
Significant Difference

Biocontrol of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775) with plant extracts Kherroubi, M. Mouhouche, F. Zerrouk Izzeddine, Z. Chahbar, M. Key words Thaumetopoea pityocampa, LD50, Populus nigra, Taxus baccata Reception date: 15/03/2019 | Acceptation date: 06/06/2019 | Publication date: 04/0/2019 © Copyright belongs to the authors, who license the journal Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica to publish the paper under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, which permits its distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source, the journal Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, are cited. Download: PDF | Cite Share on: | Biocontrol of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775) with plant extracts Kherroubi, M. Mouhouche, F. Zerrouk Izzeddine, Z. Chahbar, M. Abstract Biocontrol of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775) with plant extracts The purpose of this study was to propose alternative solutions based on the use of natural, bio-insecticidal products to fight against the processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (T. pityocampa), considered a defoliator because of the damage it causes to silvicultural. This insect also causes health problems in forests or wooded areas open to the public. To meet this objective, we evaluated the toxicity of six extracts from two plants: Taxus baccata and Populus nigra, collected from the regions of Blida, against first instar larvae of T. pityocampa. The results from these biological tests showed a significant difference between the six extracts. The LD50 (lethal dose) values were calculated by probit analysis using Finney’s table. The LD50 was also low for the two extracts Populus Methanol and Populus Methanol Chloroform (1.4 mg/ml and 3.3 mg/ml, respectively). However, the LD50 was relatively high for the rest of the extracts. In conclusion, the Bio-insecticides of Populus Methanol (PMP) and Populus Methanol Chloroform (PMC) showed to be active and could be integrated into the biological control of the egg parasitoids of T. pityocampa.

scholarly journals A Viral Pathogen from Pine Processionary Moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Yaman
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Thaumetopoea Pityocampa ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Coniferous Species ◽  
Pinus Brutia ◽  
Pine Processionary Moth ◽  
Processionary Moth ◽  
Occlusion Bodies

Pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. & Schiff.) is a serious defoliator in pine forests. Its larvae cause defoliation by eating leaves mainly on coniferous species, Pinus brutia, P. nigra, P. pinaster, and P. pinea in Turkey. Cypovirus is the most common entomopathogen in T. pityocampa populations. In this study, the ultrastructure of the cypovirus of T. pityocampa was observed in the intestine lumen of the predatory beetle, Calasoma sycophanta L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae), which supports the hypothesis of possible transmission of the virus to T. pityocampa populations by the predatory beetle. Polyhedral occlusion bodies (OBs) and virions were examined by electron microscopy. OBs of the virus were of irregular shape and 2.1 µm (1.2-3) in diameter, and each of them included up to 50 virions in a cross-section. Virions were icosahedral and 78.3 (65-90) nm in size and each virion had surface spikes. Smaller OBs, larger virions and a high number of virions per cross-section were the main features of the cypovirus in T. pityocampa. Our observations make us conclude that the predator beetle, C. sycophanta, may disseminate OBs of cypovirus when preying upon infected T. pityocampa larvae.

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