National Gypsy Moth Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

1. National Gypsy Moth Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Joe Cook, Supervisory Entomologist NE Area State and Private Forestry Morgantown, WV 304-285-1523 jlcook@fs.fed.us

2. Gypsy Moth History •Gypsy moths not native to the US • Introduced to Massachusetts in 1869 - spread steadily westward

3. Adult Female (White) and Male (Brown) Moth • Emergence from pupae about 4 weeks (~July) • Males able to fly to find mates • Males fly upwind to find scent of mates • Scent called “sex pheromone”

4. Adult Egg Laying Adult Egg Laying • White female moths emerge from brown pupae and lay large hidden egg masses. Eggs laid in groups of 50-1500 • Often found on trees, house siding, firewood and under car bumpers • Sheer number insects can be nuisance during outbreak

5. Gypsy Moth Caterpillar • Older caterpillars have distinct color markings on their backs • Five pairs of blue dots are followed by 6 pairs of red dots

6. • Later stage caterpillars feed on leaves only at night • Caterpillars crawl to the base of trees before daybreak to hide from birds

7. Gypsy Moth Pupa And Larval Skin Gypsy Moth Pupa And Larval Skin • In June caterpillars stop feeding and wander to protected place to change into pupae • Brown pupae can be found anywhere

8. How is Gypsy Moth Controlled in Nature How Is Gypsy Moth Controlled In Nature? Factors Related To Weather: - Fungal disease - Entomophaga maimaiga - spreads through population during wet springs - Spores blown in wind will germinate on caterpillars exposed to soaking rains and kill them - Dead caterpillars covered with spores will infect nearby caterpillars

9. Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Covered by Fungal Spores Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Covered By Fungal Spores • Spores easily seen on caterpillars

10. How is Gypsy Moth Controlled in Nature? How Is Gypsy Moth Controlled In Nature? Factors related to gypsy moth abundance: LOW ABUNDANCE - mice and other rodents eat them MEDIUM ABUNDANCE - predatory insects (ground beetles) - parasitic wasps (Cotesia melanoscelus) HIGH ABUNDANCE - Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV)

11. V-Shaped Gypsy Moth Caterpillar V-shaped Gypsy Moth Caterpillar • NPV has killed caterpillar and is handing in V-shaped position • V-shaped position caused from virus changing tissues and muscles into a soup filled with infectious virus spores

12. NPV Infected Caterpillar • NPV infected caterpillars rupture and splash soupy virus-filled contents on neighboring leaves • Caterpillars eating the soup will die • Virus spreads rapidly to new caterpillars leaving few, if any, to develop into moths

13. How Gypsy Moths Defoliate How Gypsy Moths Defoliate Leaves: • Caterpillars eat everything but the leaf midrib • 11 sq. ft. of foliage consumed by each caterpillar Trees: • Caterpillars hatching from 100 egg masses will consume over 3 acres of foliage • During pest outbreaks each tree can have more than 200 egg masses

14. When are forests defoliated? Why is gypsy moth defoliation a problem? • Defoliation starts in May and continues into early June- preferred trees - oaks • Caterpillars eat leaves of 500 species of trees and plants • 8 million acres of forested lands defoliated in 1990 • Repeated annual defoliation may kill trees in 2-4 years

15. Gypsy Moth Defoliation (acres) 1991 to 2003

16. Basal area of trees susceptible to gypsy moth

17. Slow-the-Spread Action Zones 2003 1998

18. How The Gypsy Moth Population Spreads How The Gypsy Moth Population Spreads • Population moves from a generally infested area through a transition zone to the un-infested areas (Natural spread - caterpillars blown by the wind; Artificial spread – people who unknowingly carry it into un-infested areas) • Hot spots or locally infested areas decrease in size when moving away from generally infested areas Infested Transition Un-infested Suppression Slow-the-Spread

19. Suppression Program • Eradication Program • Objective: Eliminate gyspy moth infestations in uninfested area and eliminate Asiatic Gypsy moth where-ever it is found before populations are established • Mechanism: • APHIS and state programs- monitor gypsy moth introductions through trapping program • Education- Alerting citizens of signs of gypsy moth • Potential Outcome: • Coordinated Aerial Spray (Btk, diflurobenzuron, or gypchek, mating disruption) • No spray- Rate of population spread increased

20. Suppression Program • Suppression Program • Objective: Minimize tree damage • Mechanism: • Local estimates of gypsy moth abundance and canopy cover guide the program • Communities / forests that meet the threshold are eligible for Federal matching $$ • Potential Outcomes in Eligible Communities: • Coordinated Aerial Spray (Btk, diflurobenzuron, or gypchek) • No spray-Trees are defoliated

21. Slow the Spread Program • Slow the Spread Program • Objective: Slow the rate of GM movement to new areas • Mechanism: • Local estimates of gypsy moth abundance and canopy cover guide the program • Possible Outcomes in Targeted Areas: • Coordinated aerial spray of Bacillus thuringiensis or Pheromone flakes

22. Management of Gypsy Moth: How Slow-the-Spread Works For more information, visit: http://da.ento.vt.edu/ Transition Zone 8 km trap grid 3 km trap grid Action Zone (2 km trap grid) Infested Zone Uninfested Zone Varies (≈30 km) ≈50 km ≈120 km 10 moths/trap Line

23. Sex Pheromone Trap Sex Pheromone Trap • Traps are deployed each spring to monitor gypsy moth populations • These traps lure male moths with the scent of gypsy moth females. This scent is called a sex pheromone

24. Map of 2001 Trap Catch Map of Trap Catch • Trap catches are reported to monitor the spread • Areas with greatest trap catch are probably infested

25. Benefits of Slow The Spread (STS) Benefits of Slow The Spread (STS)

26. History of Gypsy Moth Control on Military Lands • 1986- West Point (2548 acres Btk); Letterkenny Army Depot (1450 acres Btk) • 1987- West Point (600 acres Btk); Camp David (420 acres Btk); Picatinny Arsenal (1222 acres Dimilin) • 1988- Fort Richie (700 acres Btk) • 1989- Fort Belvoir (90 acres Dimilin); White Oak NWC (50 acres Btk; 250 acres dimilin) • 1990- Aberdeen Proving Ground (8000 acres Btk); Adelphi Labs (30 acres Btk; 70 acres Dimilin); Annapolis Naval Academy (160 acres Btk); Fort Meade (1300 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (137 acres Dimilin); Quantico MCB (1772 acres Btk; 3314 acres Dimilin); Vint Hill Farm Station (185 acres Dimilin); White Oak NWC (40 acres Btk; 276 acres Dimilin)

27. History of Gypsy Moth Control on Military Lands • 1991- Aberdeen Proving Grounds (10,270 acres Btk); Andrews AFB (1000 acres Btk); Fort Meade (7,554 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (1708 acres Btk; 2098 acres Dimilin); Quantico MCB (7493 acres Btk; 7004 acres Dimilin); Vint Hill Farm Station (188 acres Dimilin); Wurtsmith AFB (78 acres Btk) • 1992- Quantico MCB (1480 acres Btk; 4082 acres Dimilin); Aberdeen Proving Grounds (3000 acres Btk); Ft Meade 1128 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (80 acres Btk; 3355 acres Dimilin) • 1993- Quantico MCB (926 acres Btk; 3440 acres Dimilin) • 1994- Quantico MCB (2089 acres Btk; 2890 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (166 acres Btk) • 1995- Quantico MCB (1394 acres Btk; 3999 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (974 acres Btk) • 2002- West Point (650 acres Btk)

28. Gypsy Moth Supplemental EIS (SEIS) • 1995 Gypsy Moth EIS, and 1996 Record of Decision (ROD) • New SEIS will continue with Alternative 6 (eradication, suppression, and slow the spread) as the selected alternative • Joint U.S. Forest Service and APHIS SEIS with co-leads from each agency • Anticipate Notice of Intent to alert public and other federal agencies of new SEIS for gypsy moth in March of 2004. • Draft SEIS (2005) • Final SEIS and ROD (2006) • New SEIS will update the 1995 EIS, add new tools and chemicals such as Mimic, all health and ecological risk assessments for Btk, Dimilin, NPV, Disparlure are being redone, and a new risk assessment for Mimic is being done)