Changing patterns of the East Asian monsoon drive shifts in migration and abundance of a globally important rice pest

Numerous insects including pests and beneficial species undertake windborne migrations over hundreds of kilometers. In East Asia, climate-induced changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation systems are affecting wind-fields and precipitation zones and these, in turn, are changing migration patterns. We examined the consequences in a serious rice pest, the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens) in East China. BPH cannot overwinter in temperate East Asia, and infestations there are initiated by several waves of windborne spring or summer migrants originating from tropical areas in Indochina. The East Asian summer monsoon, characterized by abundant rainfall and southerly winds, is of critical importance for these northward movements. We analyzed a 42-year dataset of meteorological parameters and catches of BPH from a standardized network of 341 light-traps in South and East China. We show that south of the Yangtze River during summer, southwesterly winds have weakened and rainfall increased, while the summer precipitation has decreased further north on the Jianghuai Plain. Together, these changes have resulted in shorter migratory journeys for BPH leaving South China. As a result, pest outbreaks of BPH in the key rice-growing area of the Lower Yangtze River Valley (LYRV) have declined since 2001. We show that these changes to the East Asian summer monsoon weather parameters are driven by shifts in the position and intensity of the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) system that have occurred during the last 20 years. As a result, the relationship between WPSH intensity and BPH immigration that was previously used to predict the size of the immigration to the LYRV has now broken down. Our results demonstrate that migration patterns of a serious rice pest have shifted in response to the climate-induced changes in precipitation and wind pattern, with significant consequences for the population management of migratory pests.     

Repeatability of individual migration routes,wintering sites,and timing in a long‐distance migrant bird

Migratory birds are often faithful to wintering (nonbreeding) sites, and also migration timing is usually remarkably consistent, that is, highly repeatable. Spatiotemporal repeatability can be of advantage for multiple reasons, including familiarity with local resources and predators as well as avoiding the costs of finding a new place, for example, nesting grounds. However, when the environment is variable in space and time, variable site selection and timing might be more rewarding. To date, studies on spatial and temporal repeatability in short‐lived long‐distance migrants are scarce, most notably of first‐time and subsequent migrations. Here, we investigated repeatability in autumn migration directions, wintering sites, and annual migration timing in Hoopoes (Upupa epops), a long‐distance migrant, using repeated tracks of adult and first‐time migrants. Even though autumn migration directions were mostly the same, individual wintering sites often changed from year to year with distances between wintering sites exceeding 1,000 km. The timing of migration was repeatable within an individual during autumn, but not during spring migration. We suggest that Hoopoes respond to variable environmental conditions such as north–south shifts in rainfall during winter and differing onset of the food availability during spring migration.     

Inferring origins of migrating insects using isoscapes: a case study using the true armyworm,Mythimna unipuncta,in North America

1. Many important insect pests undertake seasonal migrations at continental scales in response to changes in resource quality and availability. The frequency and timing of these events could be influenced by the impact of climate change on the suitability of the different sites exploited throughout the year, yet, in many cases, little is known about the origin of seasonal populations, as tracking insect movements is extremely challenging due to their small body size. 2. The use of stable isotope measurements in insect tissues combined with the development of tissue‐specific ‘isoscapes’ of modelled geographic isotope patterns presents a potentially valuable but rarely used approach for obtaining such information on important pest species. In this paper it is illustrated how stable hydrogen isotope analyses (δ²H) in wing chitin of the true armyworm (Mythimna (Psuedaletia) unipuncta Haworth), a seasonal migrant, clearly delineated between 2016 spring immigrants and later locally produced moths in southern Ontario, Canada. 3. It is shown that adult moths captured in early fall in Texas were immigrants from farther north, the first direct confirmation of a southward return migration of this species. Stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) measurements indicated that spring immigrants in Ontario and autumn immigrants in Texas were from exclusively C3 biomes. Stable nitrogen isotope (δ¹⁵N) measurements also provided information on the probability of individuals coming from agriculturally intensive (i.e. higher δ¹⁵N) sites. Finally, several recommendations are provided regarding future research that could improve the Bayesian assignment models and thus improve assignment accuracy.     

The use of egg counts and suction trap samples to forecast the infestation of spring-sown field beans, Vicia faba, by the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae

Daily suction trap samples at a height of 12·2 m collected throughout the year, winter egg and ‘spring’ population counts on the spindle tree, Euonymus europaeus, and initial infestations of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, on field bean, Vicia faba, crops are available from Southern England since 1970. In different areas, estimates of the sizes of the autumn migrations, the over-wintering egg populations, the spring fundatrigeniae and the spring migrations, have been used to forecast field bean crop infestation levels which, in turn, project subsequent trap catches of alatae. The forecasts of crop infestation become progressively more accurate from the autumn migration to the following spring migration, accounting for 28%, 54%, 54% and 64% of the variance respectively. In areas where traps are sited, the spring migration trap samples give the most accurate estimate of the size and timing of crop infestation. Autumn trap catches are particularly useful as very early forecasts of likely very large or very small populations on field beans about 8 months later, but otherwise they lack precision. Egg sampling in winter provides a considerably more accurate forecast approximately 5 months before crop infestations. In spring (May), fundatrigeniae sampled on spindle are most useful for predicting time of migration, and provide approximately 2 weeks' warning for insecticide application, if needed. Finally, trap sampling of the spring migration provides the latest estimate of both the sizes of crop infestations and the timing of insecticide treatment. The E. europaeus and aerial sampling systems are complementary, the traps providing systematic, continuous information and the E. europaeus samples greater detail. Combined, they can provide excellent long-term fore-warning of the need for chemical control and short-term warning of control timing. Forecasts have been 90% correct in eight years out of nine. The error in the ninth year may be due to immigration from the European mainland.     

云南省褐飞虱早期迁入虫源及其发生大气背景分析

为了探明我国西南稻区褐飞虱早期迁入种群的虫源地,为后期预测和防治提供依据,通过对2007—2016年云南植保站4—5月份褐飞虱虫情进行分析,选取出云南省勐海、芒市、江城、师宗、麻栗坡、广南6个代表性站点,利用WRF-FlexPart耦合模式对2013年、2015年和2016年这些站点的早期迁入峰进行了数值模拟,得到近年来云南省褐飞虱早期迁入虫源的虫源地。选取了2013年褐飞虱早期迁入量较大的迁入峰进行了大气背景分析,结合峰期影响褐飞虱迁飞的大气动力场、温度场和相对湿度场,探讨了影响云南省褐飞虱早期迁入的大气背景。研究结果表明:(1)近年来云南省褐飞虱迁入的虫源主要来自缅甸,部分来自老挝和泰国,少数来自越南,还有极少量来自孟加拉国。(2)这一时期,当释放高度分别为1500、2000 m时,褐飞虱的迁飞高度分别集中在2216 m和2489 m,平均迁飞高度分别是2167、2454 m,从不同释放高度回推的褐飞虱迁飞高度的起伏趋势具有较好的一致性,表明模式能较好地反映系统性垂直气流和下垫面起伏对其上层三维流场和种群迁飞的影响。(3)选取2013年5月22—26日发生在云南勐海、麻栗坡和广南的一次典型褐飞虱迁入过程,分析了大气背景场对褐飞虱迁飞的影响,结果显示:受印缅低压控制或影响,高空从境外虫源区至云南降虫区有西南水平气流作为种群输送动力;温场在降虫区东北侧有"低温屏障墙"存在,阻止了种群的继续北迁;垂直速度场上虫源区有上升气流促使种群起飞迁出,降虫区有下沉气流促使种群降落;弱降水形成的拖曳下沉气流对降虫也十分有利;相对湿度场对此次迁飞过程不形成任何胁迫。     

Windborne displacements of Desert Locusts from Africa to the Caribbean and South America

The Desert Locust is a major pest of agriculture in Africa, the Middle East and South-West Asia and swarms are known to make downwind flights over hundreds and thousands of kilometres between seasonal breeding areas. At the end of summer in 1988, swarms of locusts were moving north and south along the western margins of North Africa and in October and November, swarms crossed the Atlantic Ocean and invaded the Caribbean and neighbouring parts of South America for the first recorded time. Because of the extent of the migration and the evolutionary significance of linkages between Old and New World species of locusts, the weather associated with the migrations was studied and trajectory analysis was used to identify the source areas and estimate the flight times. Locusts were moving offshore from western North Africa throughout the autumn and on three occasions migrated west of 40° W with easterly Trade winds. Two trans-Atlantic crossings coincided with the passage of easterly waves. Over 100 trajectories were constructed at 950 and 850 hPa and within the time limit used ( 144-h), 28% successfully linked source and receptor areas. Minimum trajectory duration was 93-h, which is one-and-a-half times longer than the previously longest flight duration, derived for a similar migration to the British Isles in 1954. Upwind trajectories from the arrival areas, identified sources between 27 and 6° N in Africa, with most end-points located in Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Interspersed with the Atlantic crossings were a northward movement of locusts and an incursion of Saharan dust into Europe within the circulations of frontal depressions. While offshore migrations from northern Africa are common in autumn, the immigrants in the Caribbean and South America were probably at the extreme limits of flight endurance for the species. The results tend to confirm earlier hypotheses that New World species of locusts may have evolved from ancestral migrants from Africa.     

The long-distance migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Delphacidae) in China: radar observations of mass return flight in the autumn

Abstract.

• 1 A case study is presented of the autumn migration of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), in the area of Nanjing in the People's Republic of China. The study was made using a high frequency (8 mm wavelength) radar and a net suspended from a kytoon.
• 2 The observations confirmed that long-distance return migrations occur in China in mid and late September, with N.lugens being carried on the prevailing north-easterly wind towards the autumn infestation and overwintering areas of the species.
• 3 After mass take-off in the late afternoon or at dusk, the migrants flew for several hours during the evening, often in a dense layer which formed at heights between about 400 and 1000m above ground. These layers often had well-defined ceilings corresponding to an air temperature of about 16°C. The migration height was above the top of the surface temperature inversion, i.e. the migrants did not fly at the height of the warmest air.
• 4 The dense layer concentrations overflying the radar were backtracked to source areas up to 240 km away in the north-east of Jiangsu Province. Planthoppers observed emigrating from the Nanjing area would reach areas in south Anhui Province or north Jiangxi Province if they flew for 12 h.
• 5 There was a second period of mass take-off at dawn. Insect layers sometimes formed but did not last longer than 1–2h.
• 6 The present results were strikingly different from those previously observed in the dry season in the Philippines, where migratory flight durations were largely confined to periods of about 30min at dusk and dawn.
• 7 Our observations are discussed in relation to the equator-wards return migrations undertaken in autumn by other insect species, and the importance of these migrations for the maintenance of long-flying genotypes in the overwintering populations is considered.

     

Non‐breeding areas and timing of migration in relation to weather of Scottish‐breeding common sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos

The number of breeding common sandpipers has declined in Britain due to poorer return rates from non‐breeding areas. To investigate little known aspects of their annual cycle, breeding common sandpipers were fitted with geolocators to track their migrations and determine their non‐breeding areas. Ten tagged birds left Scotland on 9 July (median dates and durations are given throughout the abstract). Short‐term staging was carried out by some birds in England and Ireland, then for longer by most birds in Iberia before continuing to West Africa, arriving on 28 July. Six birds spent most of the non‐breeding season (October–February) on the coast of Guinea‐Bissau, suggesting that this is a key area. Single birds occurred in Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Canary Islands and western Sahara. The southward migration from Scotland took 17.5 d (range 1.5–24 d), excluding the initial fuelling period. The first northward movement from Africa was on 12 April. Staging occurred in either Morocco, Iberia or France. Arrival in Scotland was on 2 May. The northward migration took 16 d (range 13.5–20.5 d). The main migration strategy involved short‐ and medium‐range flights, using tail‐winds in most cases. Variation in strategy was associated with departure date; birds that left later staged for shorter durations. Coastal West Africa provides two major habitats for common sandpipers: mudflats associated with mangroves and rice fields. Although the area of mangrove has been depleted, the scale of loss has probably been insufficient to account for the decline in sandpiper numbers. Rice fields are expanding, providing feeding areas for water‐birds. Meteorological data during the migrations suggest that the weather during the southward migration is unlikely to contribute to a population decline but strong cross‐winds or head‐winds during the northward migration to the breeding grounds may do so.     

基于MaxEnt的西藏飞蝗在中国的适生区预测

西藏飞蝗是青藏高原本地特有物种,为青稞和牧草的重要害虫,近年来危害范围有扩大蔓延趋势。研究并明确西藏飞蝗在中国的适生区域,对制定该虫的早期监测、预警及控制措施意义重大。近年来最大熵理论在物种适生研究领域得到广泛应用,基于西藏飞蝗的分布信息和环境变量,采用MaxEnt生态位模型和ArcGIS对其在中国的潜在分布区进行预测,用ROC曲线检测模型精度、刀切法(jackknife test)筛选主导环境变量及其适宜值。两次模拟的AUC值分别为0.996和0.993,预测结果与实际拟合度很高。西藏飞蝗在中国的高适生区主要位于四川的甘孜州,西藏的昌都地区、林芝地区、山南地区及拉萨市,中适生区则以高适生区为中心向外扩散,集中在青藏高原东部地区。海拔、8月份平均雨量、1月份平均雨量、等温性、12-2月份的平均温度是影响西藏飞蝗潜在分布的主要环境变量。     

Trans‐equatorial migration,staging sites and wintering area of Sabine’s Gulls Larus sabini in the Atlantic Ocean

The migrations and winter distributions of most seabirds, particularly small pelagic species, remain poorly understood despite their potential as indicators of marine ecosystem health. Here we report the use of miniature archival light loggers (geolocators) to track the annual migration of Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini, a small (c. 200 g) Arctic‐breeding larid. We describe their migratory routes and identify previously unknown staging sites in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as their main Atlantic wintering area in the southern hemisphere. Sabine’s Gulls breeding in northeast Greenland displayed an average annual migration of almost 32 000 km (n = 6), with the longest return journey spanning close to 39 000 km (not including local movements at staging sites or within the wintering area). On their southern migration, they spent an average of 45 days in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Sea, off the coasts of France, Spain and Portugal. They all wintered in close association with the cold waters of the Benguela Upwelling, spending an average of 152 days in that area. On their return north, Sabine’s Gulls staged off the west African coast (Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal), spending on average 19 days at this site. This leg of migration was particularly rapid, birds travelling an average of 813 km/day, assisted by the prevailing winds. Sabine’s Gulls generally followed a similar path on their outbound and return migrations, and did not exhibit the broad figure‐of‐eight pattern (anti clockwise in the southern hemisphere and clockwise in the northern hemisphere) seen in other trans‐equatorial seabirds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.     

Snow goose migration phenology is related to extratropical storm climate

The phenologies of autumn and spring migrations by greater snow geese (Anser caerulescens atlantica) are shown to be statistically independent. Spring and fall migration phenologies are demonstrated to be significantly related to synoptic scale atmospheric circulation systems (extratropical storms) rather than a factor such as temperature. Interannual variation in the timing of migratory movements by snow geese reflect interannual variation in the climatology of extratropical storms. Early fall migration is significantly related to an increased frequency of cyclonic disturbances off the United States east and gulf coasts. Years in which autumn migration is delayed occur when the Atlantic coast storm track is displaced northward. Late spring migrations are related to extratropical storms being more frequent over the Great Plains, along the gulf coast, and over the northern Gulf of Mexico. Increased cyclone activity through the Ohio River valley and over the Great Lakes tends to advance the onset of spring migrations.     

四川地区白背飞虱虫源地分析及迁入路径

为明确四川稻区白背飞虱迁入种群虫源地分布及迁飞路径,运用HYSPLIT 4.8平台和Arc GIS对2012年四川17个站点5—7月白背飞虱灯诱高峰日进行了轨迹模拟、虫源地分析,并运用气象图形处理软件Grads对白背飞虱主要迁入高峰日的虫源地进行风场分析。结果表明:(1)早期5—6月迁入四川盆地的白背飞虱主要降落于川南和川东地区,川南早期虫源主要来自越南和老挝北部和云南南部、东部及东北部地区,川东主要集中在重庆南部、湖南西部以及湘鄂渝交界处,少量来自广西西北部地区,7月白背飞虱的迁飞因受到西南、偏南及东南气流的影响,其虫源广泛分布于云南、贵州、重庆、广西、湖南及湖北。(2)白背飞虱迁入四川盆地的路径主要有4支,第一支,白背飞虱随西南或偏南气流由云南经贵州西部迁入川南,或再经贵州东北部和重庆迁入川东;第二支,白背飞虱随偏南气流由广西经贵州中部迁入川南,或经贵州东北和重庆迁入川东;第三支,由湖南经重庆随东南或偏南气流迁入川东;第四支,由云南随偏南气流迁入川西。(3)由于特殊地形地势的影响,四川盆地白背飞虱的迁入始期和主要迁入期是由东南向西北发生发展;四川稻区白背飞虱主要迁入峰集中在7月份,早期5—6月高峰数较少,且集中在川南和川东地区,总体上迁入峰变化表现为由东南至西北依次减少,以上对四川稻区白背飞虱监测预警有重要意义。     

Butterfly migration from and to peninsular Florida

Abstract.

• 1 Migrating butterflies were monitored with traps for 10 years at a site in north peninsular Florida, to determine seasonal and annual variation in numbers and directions of flight.
• 2 In the spring, 81–96% of the principal migrants, Phoebis sennae (L.), Agraulis vanillae (L.), Precis coenia (Hübner) and Urbanus proteits (L.), flew northward; in the autumn, 86–95% flew southward.
• 3 Estimated mean net numbers of these four species flying northward in spring across each ENE-WSW metre were 3, 6, 69 and <1 respectively; numbers flying southward in autumn were 222, 413, 37 and 146.
• 4 During a 5-year period, the ratio of highest to lowest seasonal migration for a species did not exceed 9.3.
• 5 The average median date of spring migration was 27 March for P.sennae, 23 April for P.coenia, and 12 May for A.vanillae. The average median date of autumn migration was 2–5 October except for U.proteus, whose average date was 14 October.
• 6 The autumn migratory period, as measured by the duration of the middle half of migration, was about 2 weeks in P.coenia and about 4 weeks in the other three species.
• 7 Compared to previously reported butterfly migrations, the ones studied here were notably uniform in magnitude and regular in timing.
• 8 These and other data suggest that 4 million or more of these butterflies migrate northward from peninsular Florida almost every spring and that 40 million or more migrate southward to peninsular Florida almost every autumn.

     

A review of the biology and control of the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

At the turn of the century, damage by Otiorhynchus sulcatus was sporadic and limited to small areas. Increasing horticultural intensification and the adoption of husbandry techniques favourable to the weevil, such as the use of polythene mulches, increased its pest status. The development of the early inorganic pesticides reduced the number of serious outbreaks of this pest and weevil control was further improved by the development of the persistent organochlorine insecticides in the 1940's. The banning of a number of the more persistent insecticides over recent years has now left the horticultural industry in a very vulnerable position. O. sulcatus is now a pest on a range of horticultural crops throughout the temperate regions of the world. Infestations are most common in Europe (where it originated) and the USA, and nearly 150 plants species have been identified as potential hosts to O. sulcatus. Damage is most frequently caused by the root feeding larval stage. Populations as low as one larva plant can kill sensitive species such as Cyclamen. Severe damage by the leaf feeding adults is less common, although low levels of damage or contamination by adults may be unacceptable in certain situations. There is one generation a year. Oviposition by the flightless parthenogenetic females occurs over the summer months with oviposition rates of c. 500 and 1200 eggs adult^-1for outdoor and laboratory populations, respectively. O. sulcatus mainly overwinters as larvae, although significant numbers of adults may survive in areas where winter temperatures are not too severe. A number of natural enemies, such as hedgehogs, frogs and predatory beetles, help to maintain O. sulcatus populations at a low level in natural environments, but they are less successful in intensive horticultural systems where persistent chemicals have been heavily relied on to maintain the population below the economic threshold level. Increasing environmental concern is now forcing growers to consider new pest control strategies. Controlled release formulations of non-persistent products, such as fonofos and chlorpyrifos, have shown potential as control agents for O. sulcatus larvae. Biological control agents, such as insect parasitic nematodes, have been developed commercially and new microbial control agents are in the process of development. Most of the new control products are directed towards control of O. sulcatus larvae. Adult vine weevils are nocturnal and a much more difficult target for the new control agents. It is likely that an integrated approach to pest control will be required to maintain O. sulcatus populations below their economic threshold level.     

Estimating the potato leafhopper Empoasca fabae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) overwintering range and spring premigrant development by using geographic information system

The potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), is a circular migratory pest of many crops in the United States that overwinters in the southern states. Northward migrant population arrival to the northern states occurs earlier in the north central states compared with northeastern states. Migrant leafhopper arrival to the north varies from year to year depending on factors influencing the development of spring migrants in the overwintering areas and on timing of weather systems capable of transporting the migrants northward. An estimate of the potato leafhopper minimum temperature survival, the geographic limits of the potato leafhopper overwintering range, leafhopper spring development in the overwintering areas, and the identification of the spring migration initiation northwards can help to predict the leafhopper arrival time in the northern states. In the current study, geographic information system (GIS) was used to estimate the potato leafhopper minimum temperature survival and premigrant development. The minimum winter temperature was estimated by overlaying minimum temperature isolines with potato leafhopper collection data taken during the winter, The geographic limits of the overwintering range were estimated using the minimum temperature survival to create a condition-based model by using ArcMap-GIS 8.2. The estimated overwintering range was larger and covered areas further north than previously estimated and included Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland. The use of degree-day accumulation to estimate days of first adult emergence in the overwintering areas resulted in earliest adult emergence in the south central region. First adult emergence in south central and southeastern areas occurred before the detection of potato leafhoppers in the north central United States. These data suggested that the difference in population arrival between the north central states and the northeastern states was more dependent on factors affecting the migration and weather conditions encountered along the migration pathway.     

Diffuse, short and slow migration among Blue Tits

The knowledge of migration systems in long-distance regular migrants is in many cases extensive. Our understanding of the migratory characteristics of partial migrants, on the other hand, is far more rudimentary. We investigated migratory characteristics of partially migratory Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus using ringing recoveries of Swedish birds, to answer questions about geographic migration patterns, age-specific migrations, migration speeds and synchrony of movements. Median migration distance of Swedish Blue Tits was 82 km, with a main autumn direction in the sector between S and W (large directional scatter). Northerly and southerly populations did not differ in migration directions or distances, suggesting chain migration to be the general pattern. A larger proportion of adult Blue Tits remained near the breeding grounds during winter than was the case for juveniles. Some of the migrating birds (17%) seemed not to return in spring but stayed to breed closer to the winter area. Swedish Blue Tits show an exceptionally slow migration speed (median 13 km/day), among the slowest speeds recorded for any migrant bird. The Blue Tit represents an extreme case of diffuse, short and slow bird migration.     

Evidence from traditional and new technologies for northward migrations of Australian plague locusts (Chortoicetes terminifera) (Walker) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to western Queensland

Abstract The development of recent infestations of the Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera) (Walker) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) has been traced using traditional survey data combined with information from several modern technologies including simulation of windborne transport trajectories, direct observation with entomological radar and satellite imagery. The results indicate that migration from spring generations in the southern and eastern parts of the species range, including agricultural areas, to the summer rainfall areas in arid western Queensland (Qld) has contributed to the development of infestations on several occasions. Migration from swarm populations in New South Wales to western Qld in November and December 1999 contributed to a rapid population increase that, over a sequence of generations, led to the major infestation of agricultural areas in March and April 2000. There is evidence that northward migrations also occurred in 1995, 1997 and 2000. These contributed to the early summer populations in Qld, but did not result in large migrations to the south in autumn. These observations suggest that a pattern of exchange migration across much of the geographical range of the species between regions of winter and summer rainfall characterizes the spatial dynamics of this species. This pattern appears to be adaptive and suggests migration in C. terminifera is sustained by contemporary natural selection.     

Doppler radar detection of exceptional mass-migration of aphids into Finland

Our objective was to detect mass migrations of insects of economic significance by insect traps and a Doppler weather radar. Migrants were sampled by suction traps, tow nets and light traps in the Helsinki region. We used radar to observe the migrating insects, and trajectories to backtrack mass migrations of aphids (Homoptera, Aphididae) in spring 1988. The aphid migrations were clearly observed in trap catches and by radar. The first migration, mainly involving Euceraphis betulae, occurred on 18 May and was tracked back to northern Poland. The second migration, mainly of Rhopalosiphum padi (a serious pest of small-grain cereals), occurred 3 days later and was tracked back to a large area covering Latvia and western Russia south of St Petersburg. The third migration included both E. betulae and R. padi, and took place on 30 May. It originated from Estonia. Neither trap nor radar data provide exact quantitative information on migrations. Trapping efficiency depends strongly on wind speed and insect size. Radar echo intensity is very strongly related to the sizes of insects in the large volume of air measured, and the sizes are not known accurately. Weather data, especially temperature, can be used in predicting the development of aphids, and air-parcel trajectories in estimating the source areas of migrants. These methods for forecasting aphid migrations, combined with radar observations, are useful for warning purposes and to intensify insect trapping. This would contribute to more efficient agricultural pest management. Received: 11 March 2000 / Revised: 24 April 2000 / Accepted: 26 April 2000     

Differentiating between stopover and staging sites: functions of the southern and northern Yellow Sea for long‐distance migratory shorebirds

Evidence‐based protection of migratory birds at flyway levels requires a solid understanding of their use of ‘stopping sites’ during migration. To characterize the site use of northward‐migration great knots Calidris tenuirostris in China, we compared length of stay and fuel deposition during northward migration at areas in the south and the north of the Yellow Sea, a region critical for migrating shorebirds. Radio‐tracking showed that at the southern site great knots stayed for only short periods (2.3 ± 1.9 d, n = 40), and bird captures showed that they did not increase their mean body mass while there. In the north birds stayed for 1 month (31.0 ± 13.6 d, n = 22) and almost doubled their mean body mass. Fuel consumption models suggest that great knots departing from the northern Yellow Sea should be able to fly nonstop to the breeding grounds, whereas those from the south would require a refueling stop further north. These results indicate that the study sites in the northern and southern Yellow Sea serve different roles: the southern site acts as a temporary stopover area that enables birds with low fuel stores to make it to main staging areas further north, while the northern site serves as the critical staging site where birds refuel for the next leg of their migration. The rapid turnover rate in the southern Yellow Sea indicates that many more birds use that area than are indicated by peak counts. Differential use of the southern and northern sites indicates that both play crucial roles in the ability of great knots to migrate successfully.     

Landscape simplification increases vineyard pest outbreaks and insecticide use

Diversifying agricultural landscapes may mitigate biodiversity declines and improve pest management. Yet landscapes are rarely managed to suppress pests, in part because researchers seldom measure key variables related to pest outbreaks and insecticides that drive management decisions. We used a 13‐year government database to analyse landscape effects on European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) outbreaks and insecticides across c. 400 Spanish vineyards. At harvest, we found pest outbreaks increased four‐fold in simplified, vineyard‐dominated landscapes compared to complex landscapes in which vineyards are surrounded by semi‐natural habitats. Similarly, insecticide applications doubled in vineyard‐dominated landscapes but declined in vineyards surrounded by shrubland. Importantly, pest population stochasticity would have masked these large effects if numbers of study sites and years were reduced to typical levels in landscape pest‐control studies. Our results suggest increasing landscape complexity may mitigate pest populations and insecticide applications. Habitat conservation represents an economically and environmentally sound approach for achieving sustainable grape production.