Influence of trap type, trap colour, and trapping location on the capture of the pine moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa

Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of type, location, and colour of traps baited with 1 mg of the sex pheromone (Z)‐13‐hexadecen‐11‐ynyl acetate in polyethylene vials on the capture of the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae), males. The experiments were carried out during two flight seasons in 2002 and 2003 at a low elevation Mediterranean pine forest on the hill of Goritsa (Magnesia, Thessaly, Central Greece). The hill is covered by approximately 120 ha of pines, among which Pinus brutia Ten. (Pinaceae) is predominant with Pinus halepensis Mill. (Pinaceae) as second most common species. Among the commercially available trap types used, the Delta and Pherocon II captured significantly more males than the Funnel trap. Furthermore, pine density had a significant effect on trap type and trap colour catches. Delta traps caught significantly more adults than the other two trap types in the low density pine stand, while in the medium and high‐density pine stands no significant differences were noted between Delta and Pherocon II traps. In addition, trap colour performance varied according to pine density; white‐ and yellow‐coloured traps caught significantly more males than the other two trap colours in the high‐density stand. The first adults were captured in traps during May, and traps continued to capture adults in low numbers (< two individuals per trap) until mid‐June. A period of 3–4 weeks of no trap captures followed until mid‐July, when captures restarted, at low numbers. The peak of T. pityocampa flight was observed during late August–September.

The influence of tree species and edge effects on pheromone trap catches of oak processionary mothThaumetopoea processionea(L.) in the U.K.

“…Athanassiou et al . () and Bonsignore and Manti () both observed that trap captures of PPM did not differ between edge and within pine stand locations; however, in both studies, more moths were captured in open, low density stands, suggesting a preference for lighter, sunnier situations. Other studies have generally confirmed this inclination and have revealed that PPM nests are more abundant on trees located at the forest edges, indicating a clear preference for female moths to orientate preferentially to edge trees (Samalens & Rossi, ; Dulaurent et al ., ; Regolini et al ., 2014).…”

Mass‐trapping trials for the control of pine processionary moth in a pine woodland recreational area

“…Adult control by mass-trapping and mating-disruption are also adoptable techniques. Different traps and marketed synthetic pheromones vary in their efficiency in capturing males of pine processionary moths (Martin, 2015), and the results can be influenced by various factors, including trap placement, type of trapping, pheromone source and other visual stimuli such as the colour of the trap surface (Athanassiou et al, 2007(Athanassiou et al, , 2017Brockerhoff et al, 2013;Jactel et al, 2006). Very little information is available on the masstrapping of adult pine processionary moths.…”

Evidence for low-level hybridization between two allochronic populations of the pine processionary moth,Thaumetopoea pityocampa(Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)

“…The results obtained confirmed that an allochronic speciation process of the PPM is ongoing in the Leiria area, in Portugal. PPM range has been subjected to intensive survey through international research networks over its whole range ; the singleness of the SP population is therefore remarkable, even if an early spring emergence concerning a very low percentage of adults was documented in a Greek population (Athanassiou et al, 2007). References addressing the relative importance of allopatric vs. sympatric speciation processes often concede that even in a sympatric context, it is generally difficult to exclude the existence of an initial period of divergence occurring under allopatry (Yukilevich, 2014).…”