Factors affecting Thaumetopoea pityocampa emergence in laboratory conditions

[摘要] In order to explore the factors affecting the emergence of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in laboratory conditions, 1487 larvae, prepupae and pupae were collected in the period February – May 2019 from five pest habitats: Fotinovo and Kandilka Villages (inhabited by a summer phenological form), Sandanski and Klisura Towns (winter phonological form occurs) and Sarnak Village (both forms occur). At the date of collection, the rate of parasitism was very low (0-0.1%). Throughout the study, significant differences between the characteristics of the pupal stage and mortality between both phenological forms were established. The rate of emerged adults varied from 21.4% to 77.6% in the observed habitats. The sex ratio between female and male specimens was almost equal. Only 0.6% of the samples emerged in the second year, after a diapause. At four of the localities (Fotinovo, Kandilka, Sandanski and Sarnak), the rate of infection by entomopathogens was between 6.0% and 20.8%, while the parasitism caused by tachinids was between 0.9% and 3.4%. The flight period of the summer and winter phenological forms of T. pityocampa did not coincide with about a month. In the summer form, the flight began in late May and ended to the last decade of June, while in the winter form the flight lasted from early July till the end of August. The duration of the flight period in both forms lasted 30 to 50 days, with an equal number of emerged male and female specimens.

[学科分类] 植物学

[关键词] Thaumetopoea pityocampa;pupae;emerged adults;phenological forms;Bulgaria