Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth

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Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth
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Meeting Agenda
Biology
Damage
Survey
Treatment Options
Proposal
Questions and Comments
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Biology
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Life Cycle
Egg mass
Caterpillar (Larva)
Pupae
Adults
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Egg Masses
Present July April
Larva hatch in late April
Each egg mass contains 5001000 eggs
USDA FS
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Caterpillars

• Begin hatching in late April.

• Immediately move to the tree canopy to feed on
  young leaves.

A recently hatched caterpillar
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When crowded, tiny caterpillars produce silk
threads and ride them on the breeze to colonize
other trees. This is called ballooning.
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Caterpillars continued
Caterpillars feed from late April through June.
Late instar Caterpillars have 5 pairs of blue
dots followed by 6 pairs of red dots on their
backs.
Older caterpillars
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Pupae
June - July
During the last weeks of June, larvae stop
feeding and change into pupae.
USDA FS
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Adults
Female
Male
USDA FS
Adult males emerge before females in early July
the flightless females emerge a few days later
and mating takes place.
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Females depositing egg masses
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Misconceptions of Gypsy Moth
Fall Webworm
Tent Caterpillar
Bagworm
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Damage
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Reasons To Be Concerned About GM

• Negative impact on health of people,
  plants, and the environment
• Spreads easily (naturally and artificially)
• Populations increase quickly
• Caterpillars feed on over 500 types of plants

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GM caterpillars feed on over 500 plants!
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Dangers of repeated defoliation

• Reduces ability of trees to produce and store
  food.

• Trees decline become susceptible to disease and
  other insect pests.

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Long Term Damage to Forests

• Reduces value for
  recreation and timber

• Increases fire threat

• Changes composition of forest tree species

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A Threat To Wildlife

• Food changes fewer acorns more berries

• Birds nests are exposed to
  predation and parasitism

• Increase exposure of wildlife to predators and
  parasites

Mike Soroka
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Impact on Soil
An open canopy exposes soil to sun and rain

• Soil temperatures increase

• Reduces rates of tree seed germination

• Soil erodes more readily/valuable nutrients lost

• Leaf litter reduced

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Effect on Water
Aquatic species diversity is reduced

• Increases nutrient level as it decreases oxygen
  level

• Soil erosion increases turbidity (water clarity)

• Increased temperature

• Increases levels of organic matter

Reine Wonite
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
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Urban Landscapes
Lowers property value

• Aesthetic damage

• Shade reduced

• Noise levels increase

• Homeowners are liable for
• Fallen limbs
• Tree removal costs
• Replacement costs

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Impact of Caterpillars to Humans
Gypsy moth caterpillars
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Larval hair may cause allergic reactions
ARS USDA
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Caterpillars and their waste products fall from
the trees, creating an unpleasant mess.
They crawl, they smell, they poop
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Surveys
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Surveys for Gypsy Moths
Trap catches provide information about..

• Where gypsy moths are

• Effectiveness of previous treatments

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Gypsy Moth Traps
Detect and monitor adult male moths
Pheromone bait
Jim athert
VT
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Egg Mass Survey
Female gypsy moths hide their eggs
anywhere...
WDA
Vince Burkle, IDNR
Purdue University
WDA
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Treatment Options
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Why Slow the Spread of GM?

• Allows natural enemies/pathogens to establish
• Conserves natural resources
• New technologies will become available for better
  control

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Natural Enemies of Gypsy Moth
Predators
Parasitoids
Pathogens
Cliff Sadof, Purdue
Dave Sheltar
USDA
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When Are Treatments for Gypsy Moth Appropriate?
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Considerations

• Amount of preferred habitat/host trees
• Distance from generally infested area
• Potential ecological threat to area

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Gypsy moth will never be totally eradicated in
Indiana but we can (and do) manage the rate at
which it moves through the state.
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Indiana participates in the Slow the Spread
program
The Slow the Spread (STS) Project is a large
project managed by the US Forest Service.
Several administrative agencies at both state and
federal levels participate, including agencies
from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North
Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Wisconsin.
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3 year average 3.7 miles/year
3 year average 9-12 miles/year
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Possible treatment options

• No action
• Mass trapping
• Burlap banding ground treatment with Sun Oil,
  Btk or Dimilin
• Btk
• Mating disruption with pheromone flakes
• Combination of above options

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No Action

• No treatments would be conducted
• Gypsy moth would continue to reproduce and build
  in population
• Would spread to surrounding areas sooner
• Ecological and other effects would occur sooner

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Mass Trapping

• Uses placement of traps at close spacing to
  capture male moths before reproduction occurs
• Successful where few moths are caught and there
  is no other catch history
• Is not practical for large areas

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Ground Treatment

• Treatments conducted from the ground using Sun
  Oil, Btk or Dimilin usually in combination with
  burlap banding
• Good option when egg masses are found and
  concentrated in a very small localized area
• Work with individual property owners

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Aerial application of Btk

• Catches indicate a population
• Egg masses are found
• Effective on low level populations
• Usually applied twice (sometimes once)
• Applied to canopy of trees

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Mating Disruption with Pheromone Flakes

• Catches indicate a population
• No egg masses are found
• Effective on very low population levels
• Applied once over tree canopies

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Mating Disruption
Does not kill living organisms Reduces future
population by reducing chance of mating
Pheromone Flakes confuse males, cant find mate
Female cannot fly releases scent to attract male
Male flies to find female
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Mating Disruption with pheromone flakes

• Uses female sex pheromone to disrupt mating

• Attracts only male Gypsy Moth

• Effective on very low level populations

• Slow release from plastic flakes

Zach Smith
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Proposals
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Maps.
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Security Issues

• A work safety plan is in place which coincides
  with USFS work safety plan
• Chain of custody is maintained from purchase of
  pheromone through completion of treatments
• Flake planes are guarded at all times
• DNR staff are at airport and on ground at sites
  during treatments.

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Please send comments to

• Gypsy Moth 2008
• Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology
• IN Dept. of Natural Resources
• 402 W. Washington St., Rm W290
• Indianapolis, IN 46204
• or by email to DEPP_at_dnr.IN.gov
• Deadline for comment February 19, 2008
• at 400 p.m. EST

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Questions