Studies on Host Preference and its Influence on European Pine Shoot Moth Success and Development

1962 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 690-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean L. Haynes ◽  
James W. Butcher

The European pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiff.)) attacks pine species grown in Michigan for forestry, Christmas tree, and ornamental purposes. Much research has been carried out on life history and direct insecticide control, (Butcher and Haynes 1960; Donley 1960) in efforts to minimize injury. As a result of these studies, practical control methods have been developed for intensively managed stands such as Christmas trees and nursery stock. While the need for a better understanding of shoot moth biology and ecology is generally accepted, the inability of foresters and entomologists to obtain satisfactory shoot moth control with low gallonage insecticide applications under forestry conditions has given impetus to studies on host preference and the influence of the host on shoot moth success and development. Such information, when available, might conceivably suggest planting and management steps that foresters could take in order to minimize attack and injury by this pest in the future. In Michigan, the European pine shoot moth overwinters as a partially grown larva and feeding is resumed about April 20. By late May or early June, pupation takes place in the bud area and adults emerge in about 2 weeks. Eggs are laid on the bark and needles, and hatching occurs within 10 to 15 days. Newly hatched larvae feed at the base of the current year's needles, later moving to the terminal and lateral buds where they remain until the following spring. Pitch blisters or “tents” formed as a result of feeding. in the bud area are useful indicators of shoot moth presence and activity.

2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 632-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Frdéric Guay ◽  
Amy Bernier-Desmarais ◽  
Jean-François Doherty ◽  
Conrad Cloutier

AbstractThe pine needle scale, Chionaspis pinifoliae (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), has the status of an emerging pest in Christmas tree (Pinaceae) plantations in Québec, Canada. The scale is not known to cause any significant damage yet and is not generally monitored by growers. However, it can be an obstacle for exportation to Christmas tree markets where scale insects are strictly regulated. In this study, we describe its life cycle in Christmas tree plantations in southern Québec. We confirm the presence of both parthenogenetic and sexual forms of the scale on Fraser fir Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poiret (Pinaceae) grown as Christmas trees, and of parasitoid and Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) specialists that could contribute to its control.


1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. A. Little

The entire crown of variously fertilized, unsheared Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill. trees was sprayed once or twice weekly for 2, 4, or 8 weeks with an aqueous solution of 0 or 600 mg 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) L−1 containing 1.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, 13.5% methanol, and 0.1% Tween 20, starting at different times during the period of shoot elongation. In the year of application, BAP inhibited the elongation of the current-year shoot, increased the number of lateral buds formed on this shoot, and induced lammas growth. Both BAP and the carrier solution caused some phytotoxicity in current-year needles. Responses to BAP treatment varied markedly with genotype, whorl position, and time of application, and decreased with mineral deficiency, and decreasing BAP dosage. After overwintering, many of the BAP-induced lateral buds elongated, resulting in an increased number of shoots, hence in a denser crown.


2016 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.E. Blatt ◽  
C. Bishop ◽  
J. Sweeney

AbstractChristmas trees from Nova Scotia, Canada are banned from import into the European Union (EU) because they may be infected with the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae). Monochamus Dejean (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) species known to vector pinewood nematode are present in Nova Scotia but their abundance in Christmas tree plantations and surrounding stands has not been assessed. We conducted trapping surveys and experiments in 2014 and 2015 to determine the species of Monochamus and their relative abundance in Nova Scotia Christmas tree plantations and the surrounding forests. We also compared commercially available traps and lures from Europe (cross-vane traps, Galloprotect lure=monochamol+ipsenol+α-pinene+2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol) and North America (intercept panel traps, North American lure=monochamol+ipsenol+α-pinene+ethanol) for their efficacy at catching Monochamus species in a 2×2 factorial experiment. We captured three Monochamus species (M. scutellatus (Say), M. notatus (Drury), and M. marmorator Kirby) in Nova Scotia Christmas tree plantations. Mean trap catches were greater within the plantations than in the surrounding forests. North American panel traps coated with Fluon® and baited with the European lure caught the most M. notatus and M. scutellatus and would be most suitable for survey and monitoring.


1989 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Ann Hamlett ◽  
Robert O. Herrmann ◽  
Rex H. Warland ◽  
Fengkun Zhao

Artificial Christmas trees have gained an increasing market share, causing concern to natural Christmas tree producers. Primary data was used to test a hypothesized sequential probit model of buyer characteristics. The model predicted the probability of using or displaying a Christmas tree, then if a use decision was made, the probability of displaying a natural tree. The people who are likely to display trees are Christian, practice other secular Christmas rituals, have children, and spend Christmas at home. Those who use natural trees are younger, white, have a higher income, and live in a single-family dwelling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 571-577
Author(s):  
Patrick T. Reeves ◽  
Jayasree Krishnamurthy ◽  
Eric A. Pasman ◽  
Cade M. Nylund

During the observance of Christmas, many families display decorations, which increases the risk of unfettered access and subsequent ingestion of small objects by children in the home. Our aim was to characterize the epidemiology of Christmas foreign body ingestion (CFBI) by children. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 1997 to 2015 were obtained for children aged 0 to 17 years who presented to United States Emergency Departments matching “ingested” for “artificial Christmas trees”; “Christmas tree lights”; “Christmas tree stands or supports”; “Christmas decorations, nonelectric”; and “Christmas decorations, electric” (excluding tree lights). An estimated 22 224 children (95% confidence Interval = 18 107-26 340) presented to the emergency department for CFBI over the study period. Children aged 2 years and younger ingested Christmas objects most frequently ( P < .001). CFBI visits demonstrated a seasonal trend ( P < .001). Christmas decoration ingestions are a frequent reason for children to present to the ED, which require dedicated awareness for appropriate diagnosis and care.


1954 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth C. Williams

Laemophloeus minutus (Ol.) has been reared on six food materials of a type with which the genus, Laemophloeus, is commonly associated in the field. Consideration of the length of egg to adult development, together with the mortality, recorded from each medium indicates that Manitoba wheat and whole-meal flour are equally favourable for the development of the species, followed in order of precedence by Plate maize, English wheat and, finally, National (85 per cent. extraction) and Canadian (70–75 per cent. extraction) flour which proved equally unfavourable.The stage of the life-history at which mortality mainly occurred varied with the diet. The high death-rate on English wheat was caused by the inability of newly hatched larvae to enter grains undamaged in the germ region. Mortality on National and Canadian flour occurred chiefly in the fourth instar.There were indications of cannibalism in both larval and adult stages, at any rate when the diet was unfavourable.The germ of wheat was attacked in preference to any other part of the grain. Maize germ was also consumed but whether it was preferred to the same extent as that of wheat was not established.Pupation was mainly, but not exclusively, intergranular in wheat. Normal cocoons were formed in National and Canadian flours but some larvae pupated in loose webbing or in flour free from webbing and freshly emerged adults were observed in unwebbed National and Canadian flour.


2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (6) ◽  
pp. 801-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Doherty ◽  
Jean-Frédéric Guay ◽  
Conrad Cloutier

AbstractThe balsam twig aphidMindarus abietinusKoch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a major pest of economic importance for the Christmas tree industry. Global warming during the 21st century could potentially increase local population densities and reinforce the pest status of this aphid in commercial fir (AbiesMiller; Pinaceae) plantations in Québec, Canada. During this study, we tested the effects of a warmer environment on colony growth rates ofM. abietinusand aphid morph composition during the second generation of its cycle, which is key to colony size growth and potential damage to Christmas trees. We monitoredM. abietinuspopulations on two host fir species and one host fir variety, in order to understand the early season dynamics of this aphid and its host tree. It was possible to distinguish the two overlapping generations of winged aphids leaving colonies, which led to observing a much higher proportion of wingless daughters, produced by the stem mother, than what had previously been reported. Colony growth rates were significantly higher in a warmer environment than in the nearby plantation, suggesting that warmer temperatures in late spring and early summer may provide the suitable conditions required forM. abietinuscolonies of greater density.


2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Marta Biaggini ◽  
Claudia Corti

Human activities cause increasingly deep alterations to natural environments. Yet, the effects on vertebrates with low dispersal capacity are still poorly investigated, especially at field scale. Life history variation represents one means by which species can adapt to a changing environment. Among vertebrates, lizards exhibit a high degree of variation in life-history traits, often associated with environmental variability. We examined the female breeding output ofPodarcissiculus(Lacertidae) inside agricultural habitats, to test whether different cultivation and management influence the life-history traits of this species. Interestingly, we recorded variability of female breeding output at a very fine scale, namely among adjacent vineyards and olive orchards under different management levels. Lizards displayed the lowest breeding effort in the almost unmanaged sites, while clutch mass, relative fecundity and mean egg mass slightly increased in more intensively managed sites. However, in the most intensive cultivations we detected a life-history trade-off, where eggs from larger clutches tended to be relatively smaller than eggs from smaller clutches. This pattern suggests that agriculture can influence lizard reproductive output, partly favouring it in the presence of medium intensity cultivation but causing, in the most intensively managed sites, some environmental constraints that require a peculiar partitioning of the breeding resources. Even though further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms driving the observed pattern, our results can be considered a starting point for evaluating the analysis of lizard breeding features as a tool to assess the impact of human activities, at least in agricultural environments.


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