MATING BEHAVIOR OF SPRUCE BUDWORM MOTHS, CHORISTONEURA FUMIFERANA (CLEM.) (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

1992 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.J. Sanders ◽  
G.S.M. Lucuik
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Male Response ◽  
Overt Behavior ◽  
Tussock Moth ◽  
Glass Rods ◽  
Airborne Pheromone ◽  
Male Courtship Behavior

AbstractThe mating behavior of spruce budworm [Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)] moths was studied in a wind tunnel. Of 88 contacts between male and female moths, 64 (73%) resulted in successful copulation. Failures were a result of males losing contact during courtship (11%), and females walking or flying, either when first contacted (7%) or when males attempted copulation (9%). Females showed no overt behavior other than moving away. Removal of the male labial palps had no effect on responses, which indicates that these structures have no role in courtship. Males with antennae completely removed did not respond to airborne pheromone and, therefore, none copulated. Removal of one antenna or half of both antennae of the males did not reduce the numbers of males that located females, but did result in slower responses and fewer matings. It also resulted in changes in male courtship behavior, which suggest that males depend upon their antennae to position themselves appropriately alongside the female when attempting to copulate. Analyses of male response to models of female moths constructed from glass rods with wings of male spruce budworm or male white-marked tussock moth [Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith)] attached showed that males position themselves approximately halfway along me wing length of the model, with no dependance on its wing size or the length of the male’s antennae. Responses were equally high to both spruce budworm and to tussock moth wings, but no males responded to glass rods in the absence of wings.

scholarly journals The PSI–U1 snRNP interaction regulates male mating behavior in Drosophila

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (19) ◽  
pp. 5269-5274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingqing Wang ◽  
J. Matthew Taliaferro ◽  
Ugne Klibaite ◽  
Valérie Hilgers ◽  
Joshua W. Shaevitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Control Male ◽  
Male Mating Behavior ◽  
U1 Snrnp ◽  
Male Courtship Behavior

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) is a critical regulatory mechanism that operates extensively in the nervous system to produce diverse protein isoforms. Fruitless AS isoforms have been shown to influence male courtship behavior, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Using genome-wide approaches and quantitative behavioral assays, we show that the P-element somatic inhibitor (PSI) and its interaction with the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex (snRNP) control male courtship behavior. PSI mutants lacking the U1 snRNP-interacting domain (PSIΔAB mutant) exhibit extended but futile mating attempts. The PSIΔAB mutant results in significant changes in the AS patterns of ∼1,200 genes in the Drosophila brain, many of which have been implicated in the regulation of male courtship behavior. PSI directly regulates the AS of at least one-third of these transcripts, suggesting that PSI–U1 snRNP interactions coordinate the behavioral network underlying courtship behavior. Importantly, one of these direct targets is fruitless, the master regulator of courtship. Thus, PSI imposes a specific mode of regulatory control within the neuronal circuit controlling courtship, even though it is broadly expressed in the fly nervous system. This study reinforces the importance of AS in the control of gene activity in neurons and integrated neuronal circuits, and provides a surprising link between a pleiotropic pre-mRNA splicing pathway and the precise control of successful male mating behavior.

Derivation of Pheromone-Based Larval Thresholds in Spruce Budworm Accounting for Distance to Defoliated Forest Stands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Rhainds ◽  
Ian DeMerchant ◽  
Pierre Therrien
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
General Guideline ◽  
Number Of Males

Abstract Spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clem. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is the most severe defoliator of Pinaceae in Nearctic boreal forests. Three tools widely used to guide large-scale management decisions (year-to-year defoliation maps; density of overwintering second instars [L2]; number of males at pheromone traps) were integrated to derive pheromone-based thresholds corresponding to specific intergenerational transitions in larval densities (L2i → L2i+1), taking into account the novel finding that threshold estimates decline with distance to defoliated forest stands (DIST). Estimates of thresholds were highly variable between years, both numerically and in terms of interactive effects of L2i and DIST, which limit their heuristic value. In the context of early intervention strategy (L2i+1 > 6.5 individuals per branch), however, thresholds fluctuated within relatively narrow intervals across wide ranges of L2i and DIST, and values of 40–200 males per trap may thus be used as general guideline.

Weather and Outbreaks of the Spruce Budworm in the Province of Quebec from 1939 to 1956

1961 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Pilon ◽  
J. R. Blais
Keyword(s):  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
The Past ◽  
Forest Regions ◽  
Tree Component ◽  
Gaspe Peninsula ◽  
Gaspé Peninsula

Nearly all forest regions in the Province of Quebec where balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) is an important tree component have been subjected to severe defoliation by the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), during the past 20 years. These outbreaks have followed an easterly direction beginning near the Ontario-Quebec border in 1939 and ending in the Gaspé Peninsula in 1958.

GROUND RELEASES OF TRICHOGRAMMA MINUTUM RILEY (HYMENOPTERA: TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE) AGAINST THE SPRUCE BUDWORM (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

1987 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Smith ◽  
M. Hubbes ◽  
J.R. Carrow
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Strategy ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Egg Mass ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Inundative Release ◽  
Egg Masses ◽  
Trichogramma Minutum ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Natural Parasitism

AbstractDuring 1982 and 1984, ground releases of Trichogramma minutum Riley were assessed for control of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), on 12- to 20-year-old, white spruce stands in northern Ontario. Maximum parasitism of susceptible egg masses was 16 and 87% following the release of 480 000 and 12 million female T. minutum per hectare, respectively. Releases at intervals of 1 week maintained parasitism of susceptible egg masses at constant levels throughout the oviposition period of spruce budworm. When parasitism of susceptible egg masses was maintained above 78.2% during the ovipositional period, total egg mass parasitism averaged 58.0% and resulted in an 80.3% reduction of overwintering 2nd-instar larvae. The optimal strategy for reducing spruce budworm was two releases of T. minutum at an interval of 1 week in the ovipositional period. This allowed a second generation of parasitoids to emerge from the spruce budworm eggs that were more efficient in maintaining high levels of parasitism than those emerging from the standard rearing host. Natural parasitism of spruce budworm egg masses was less than 4% and there was no carryover of parasitism in the years following inundative release. The rate of T. minutum release necessary to achieve effective mortality of spruce budworm during outbreak populations is discussed briefly.

Prescribed Burning for Stand Conversion in Budworm-killed Balsam Fir: An Ontario Case History

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. McRae
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Stand Conversion

Recent spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana [Clem.]) infestations have resulted in widespread areas of balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.) mortality in Ontario, and there is growing interest in reestablishing these areas quickly as productive forests. One technique being used is prescribed fire after a salvage and bulldozer tramping operation. A 445-ha prescribed burn was carried out under moderate fire danger conditions in northern Ontario. The site, which was covered by balsam fir fuel that had been killed by spruce budworm, was tramped to improve fire spread. Weather, fuel consumption, and fire effects are reported. The burn effectively reduced heavy surface fuel loadings and consequently planting on the site was easier. Key words: Prescribed burning, fire, spruce budworm. Choristoneura fumiferana, balsam fir, Abies balsamea, fuel consumption, site preparation, tramping, stand conversion.

WHITE SPRUCE AND THE SPRUCE BUDWORM: DEFINING THE PHENOLOGICAL WINDOW OF SUSCEPTIBILITY

1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Lawrence ◽  
William J. Mattson ◽  
Robert A. Haack
Keyword(s):  
Picea Glauca ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Shoot Elongation ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Foliar Traits

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document