Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth

1. Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moth

2. Meeting Agenda Biology Damage Survey Treatment Options Proposal Questions and Comments

3. Biology

4. Life Cycle Egg mass Caterpillar (Larva) Pupae Adults

5. Egg Masses Present July – April Larva hatch in late April Each egg mass contains 500–1000 eggs USDA FS

6. Caterpillars • Begin hatching in late April. • Immediately move to the tree canopy to feed on young leaves. A recently hatched caterpillar

7. When crowded, tiny caterpillars produce silk threads and ride them on the breeze to colonize other trees. This is called “ballooning”.

8. Caterpillarscontinued 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

10. Pupae June - July During the last weeks of June, larvae stop feeding and change into pupae. USDA FS

11. Adults Female Male USDA FS Adult males begin emerging in mid to late June; the flightless females begin emerging a few days later and mating takes place.

12. Females depositing egg masses

13. Misconceptions of Gypsy Moth Fall Webworm Tent Caterpillar Bagworm

14. Damage

16. 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

17. Most Preferred Moderately Preferred Least Preferred Oak Black Walnut Arborvitae Apple/Crabapples Cherry Catalpa Poplar Hickory Dogwood Birch Elm Honey locust Blue Spruce Maple Rhododendron American Beech Paw Paw Tulip tree poplar Hawthorn Sassafrass Viburnum White Pine White/ Norway Spruce Ash GM caterpillars feed on over 500 plants!

18. Dangers of repeated defoliation • Reduces ability of trees to produce and store food. • Trees decline; become susceptible to disease and other insect pests.

19. Long Term Damage to Forests • Reduces value for recreation and timber • Increases fire threat • Changes composition of forest tree species

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. Urban Landscapes Lowers property value: • Aesthetic damage • Shade reduced • Noise levels increase • Homeowners are liable for: • Fallen limbs • Tree removal costs • Replacement costs

24. Impactof Caterpillars to Humans Gypsy moth caterpillars

25. Larval hair may cause allergic reactions ARS USDA

26. Caterpillars and their waste products fall from the trees, creating an unpleasant mess. They crawl, they smell, they poop

27. Surveys

28. Surveys for Gypsy Moths Trap catches provide information about… • Where gypsy moths are • Effectiveness of previous treatments

29. Gypsy Moth Traps Detect and monitor adult male moths Pheromone bait Jim athert VT

30. Egg Mass Survey Female gypsy moths hide their eggs anywhere... WDA Vince Burkle, IDNR Purdue University WDA

31. Treatment Options

32. Why Slow the Spread of GM? • Allows natural enemies/pathogens to establish • Conserves natural resources • New technologies will become available for better control

33. Natural Enemies of Gypsy Moth Predators Pathogens Parasitoids Cliff Sadof, Purdue Dave Sheltar USDA

34. When Are Treatments for Gypsy Moth Appropriate?

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

36. Gypsy moth will never be totally eradicated in Indiana but we can (and do) manage the rate at which it moves through the state.

37. 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.

38. Spread of Gypsy Moth from 1900 to 2007

39. 3 year average: 3.7 miles/year 3 year average: 9-12 miles/year

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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

46. 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

47. Mating Disruption Does not kill living organisms Reduces future population by reducing chance of mating Pheromone Flakes Confuse Males, Can’t Find Mate Female cannot fly releases scent to attract male Male flies to find female

48. 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

49. Proposals

50. Maps….