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

Abstract

The pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, causes serious defoliation to Cedrus, Pinus and Pseudotsuga trees, as well as health problems in humans, pets and farm animals due to their urticating hairs. Environmentally friendly strategies for the management of T. pityocampa include: removal of egg batches, removal of nests, trapping of migrant larvae, spraying microbial or Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) insecticides and biocontrol, as well as pheromone‐based adult trapping and mating‐disruption. In the present paper, results on innovative technology for the control of T. pityocampa infestation using pheromone mass‐trapping are reported. Two 1‐ha plots were identified in the study area (central‐south Italy), a pine woodland recreational site growing Pinus halepensis. In the experimental plot (MT‐plot), 10 G‐traps (funnel trap type) baited with (Z)‐13‐hexadecen‐11‐ynyl acetate sex pheromone component were placed for mass‐trapping of adults; the other plot was used as a control‐plot (C‐plot). The T. pityocampa population was monitored using the two central traps in the MT‐plot and two traps positioned in the C‐plot. In addition, the winter nests made by T. pityocampa larvae overwintering on pine trees were counted. After 2 years of mass‐trapping, the number of adults trapped by the monitoring pheromone traps decreased in the MT‐plot, but not in the C‐plot, whereas the number of nests decreased in both plots. Statistical results highlighted significant differences in trap catches between the two plots but not between years. In the case of nests, differences among plots were not significant before the mass‐trapping, but significant after 1‐year treatment. According to our results, the mass‐trapping technique is able to reduce T. pityocampa infestations. This pheromone method can be applied in combination with other control systems in the context of integrated pest management in recreational areas.

Recent Advances in Management by Pheromones of Thaumetopoea Moths in Urban Parks and Woodland Recreational Areas

“…More recently, in 2015 Martin [8] from France reported that a minimum of four traps were necessary to be effective, even in a small site and six traps per hectare were needed for large sites. These numbers of traps are also consistent with the results that were obtained in the mass trapping of the moth in central Italy by Trematerra et al [13]. These last authors experimented in a recreational coastal area of about 30 ha.…”

“…The winter nests realized by overwintering larvae of T. pityocampa in the mass trapping parcel and control parcel were noted while using binoculars. Statistical analyses and results are reported in Trematerra et al [13].…”

“…Similar results were obtained in 2018, after two years of mass trapping, with 0.04 nests/tree being present in the mass trapping parcel vs. 0.16 nests/tree being present in the control parcel. Trematerra et al [13] reported that, at a density of 10 traps/hectare, mass trapping in mass trapping parcels reduced nests by 88% after one year and 94% after two years, when compared to the nest reduction of 43% and 80% observed in the control parcel. These preliminary results may have also been facilitated by the low mobility of Thaumetopoea females and the landscape configuration of the experimental forest, which reduced the immigration rate to the lateral sides of the parcels [38].…”

“…In urban and suburban parks or in recreational areas, the use of pheromones can help to manage pine processionary moth infestations by aiding in the monitoring and direct control of male adults. In this paper, we report a review on the recent results that were obtained in the use of pheromones for monitoring, mass trapping, and mating disruption of Thaumetopoea complex [8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17].…”

A Viral Pathogen from Pine Processionary Moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)

“…This pest extends its geographical distribution, currently ranging from North Africa to central Europe (de Boeer and Harvey 2020). Its larvae cause defoliation by eating leaves mainly on coniferous species, Pinus brutia, P. nigra, P. pinaster, and P. pinea in Turkey (Atakan 1991, Kanat et al 2005, as well as central in southern Europe and North Africa (Trematerra et al 2019). Climate change stimulates the pine processionary moth caterpillars to increase their attacks in pine forests (Hodar et al 2003).…”