Further evidence for windborne movement of armyworm moths, Spodoptera exempta, in East Africa

Abstract. 1. Comparison of dominant wind directions with seasonal redistribution of Spodoptera exempta caterpillar outbreaks in East Africa provides further circumstantial evidence to support the hypothesis of downwind migration by adult moths.
2. Calculated backward and forward tracks for sixty-nine nights during the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons, when there were sudden increases in numbers of moths caught at six light traps, illustrate the variability of downwind movement due to the effects of temporary atmospheric disturbances.
3. Comparison of calculated tracks with known outbreaks before and after the nights of increased moth catch suggests that some outbreaks are derived from unreported sources, especially eariy in the season, and it is therefore unwise to link new outbreaks only with known earlier ones.     

Bio-ecology of false codling moth,Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) within citrus orchards in Kenya and Tanzania

1. False codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta is among the key constraints of the agricultural industry. Little is known about the population dynamics and genetic diversity of this pest in East Africa.
2. The spatial–temporal population dynamics and genetic diversity of false codling moth were evaluated in citrus orchards in Kenya and Tanzania between May 2017 and August 2018 covering two fruiting seasons. The diversity of false codling moth sampled in these orchards and from solanaceous hosts, as well as from specimens received from Uganda, Sudan, and South Africa were assayed using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene.
3. A similar spatial–temporal pattern of false codling moth was found in both Kenya and Tanzania, with the most male moths in August 2017 and 2018. In Tanzania, the number of male moths caught at high and mid altitudes did not differ but were significantly higher than those caught at low altitude.
4. A relatively low false codling moth genetic diversity was recorded at the sites where sampling was done in the respective countries as well as between specimens sampled from different host plants.
5. The low false codling moth genetic diversity determined in this trial can be exploited in the management of the pest in the studied countries.

     

Phylodynamics of HIV-1 Subtype C Epidemic in East Africa

The HIV-1 subtype C accounts for an important fraction of HIV infections in east Africa, but little is known about the genetic characteristics and evolutionary history of this epidemic. Here we reconstruct the origin and spatiotemporal dynamics of the major HIV-1 subtype C clades circulating in east Africa. A large number (n = 1,981) of subtype C pol sequences were retrieved from public databases to explore relationships between strains from the east, southern and central African regions. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis of those sequences revealed that most (>70%) strains from east Africa segregated in a single regional-specific monophyletic group, here called C_EA. A second major Ethiopian subtype C lineage and a large collection of minor Kenyan and Tanzanian subtype C clades of southern African origin were also detected. A Bayesian coalescent-based method was then used to reconstruct evolutionary parameters and migration pathways of the C_EA African lineage. This analysis indicates that the C_EA clade most probably originated in Burundi around the early 1960s, and later spread to Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, giving rise to major country-specific monophyletic sub-clusters between the early 1970s and early 1980s. The results presented here demonstrate that a substantial proportion of subtype C infections in east Africa resulted from dissemination of a single HIV local variant, probably originated in Burundi during the 1960s. Burundi was the most important hub of dissemination of that subtype C clade in east Africa, fueling the origin of new local epidemics in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Subtype C lineages of southern African origin have also been introduced in east Africa, but seem to have had a much more restricted spread.     

A simple Bayesian network to interpret the accuracy of armyworm outbreak forecasts

Forecasting of outbreaks of armyworm (larvae of the moth Spodoptera exempta) employs information from rain gauges and moth traps. Rainfall is an independent variable, but moth catch is affected by rainfall, and outbreak risk is affected by both moth catch and rainfall. A simple Bayesian network was used to describe these relationships and so derive conditional probabilities. The data were from a new initiative, community‐based forecasting of armyworm in Tanzania, in which outbreak risk for a village is determined locally from a single moth trap and rain gauge located within the village. It was found that, following a positive forecast, an armyworm outbreak was approximately twice as likely to occur as would be expected by chance. If the forecast was negative because of insufficient moths, outbreaks were half as likely as would be expected by chance. If the forecast was negative because of insufficient rain, however, the outbreak probability remained similar to chance: an aspect of the forecast that requires improvement. Overall, a high forecasting accuracy can be achieved by village communities using simple rules to predict armyworm outbreaks.     

The relationship between outbreaks, rainfall and low density populations of the African armyworm, Spodoptera exempta, in Kenya

This study has demonstrated that low numbers of African armyworms (Spodoptera exempta) (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) can be found throughout the year in parts of the coastal and highland regions of Kenya where there is frequent rainfall. During the study period the numbers of moths caught in pheromone traps in these regions built up during the short and long rains, and decreased dramatically during the intervening dry seasons. There was a lag of one to two months between the peaks for rainfall and moth numbers. This contrasts with the situation at sites of the seasonal outbreaks of armyworm larvae, where a sudden preceding influx of moths coincides with the rainfall. A positive correlation was found, for the long rains seasons only, between the number of armyworm outbreaks throughout the country and the peak numbers of moths in coastal and highland regions.It is suggested therefore that the peak numbers of moths trapped in the eastern highlands and coastal regions during the rainy seasons arise principally from outbreaks in the extensive seasonal grasslands. These grassland areas diminish considerably during the prolonged dry periods between the two rainy seasons, and it is only the eastern highland and coastal regions that are likely to provide suitable habitats for breeding during the dry seasons. The significance of these populations for initiating the first outbreaks of the following season is discussed.     

Phase-dependent outbreak dynamics of geometrid moth linked to host plant phenology

Climatically driven Moran effects have often been invoked as the most likely cause of regionally synchronized outbreaks of insect herbivores without identifying the exact mechanism. However, the degree of match between host plant and larval phenology is crucial for the growth and survival of many spring-feeding pest insects, suggesting that a phenological match/mismatch-driven Moran effect may act as a synchronizing agent.We analyse the phase-dependent spatial dynamics of defoliation caused by cyclically outbreaking geometrid moths in northern boreal birch forest in Fennoscandia through the most recent massive outbreak (2000–2008). We use satellite-derived time series of the prevalence of moth defoliation and the onset of the growing season for the entire region to investigate the link between the patterns of defoliation and outbreak spread. In addition, we examine whether a phase-dependent coherence in the pattern of spatial synchrony exists between defoliation and onset of the growing season, in order to evaluate if the degree of matching phenology between the moth and their host plant could be the mechanism behind a Moran effect.The strength of regional spatial synchrony in defoliation and the pattern of defoliation spread were both highly phase-dependent. The incipient phase of the outbreak was characterized by high regional synchrony in defoliation and long spread distances, compared with the epidemic and crash phase. Defoliation spread was best described using a two-scale stratified spread model, suggesting that defoliation spread is governed by two processes operating at different spatial scale. The pattern of phase-dependent spatial synchrony was coherent in both defoliation and onset of the growing season. This suggests that the timing of spring phenology plays a role in the large-scale synchronization of birch forest moth outbreaks.     

Comparison of methods for estimating the spread of a non-indigenous species

Aim  To compare different quantitative approaches for estimating rates of spread in the exotic species gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., using county-level presence/absence data and spatially extensive trapping grids.
Location  USA
Methods  We used county-level presence/absence records of the gypsy moth's distribution in the USA, which are available beginning in 1900, and extensive grids of pheromone-baited traps, which are available in selected areas beginning in 1981. We compared a regression approach and a boundary displacement approach for estimating gypsy moth spread based on these sources of data.
Results  We observed relative congruence between methods and data sources in estimating overall rates of gypsy moth spread through time, and among regions.
Main conclusions  The ability to estimate spread in exotic invasive species is a primary concern in management programmes and one for which there is a lack of information on the reliability of methods. Also, in most invading species, there is generally a lack of data to explore methods of estimating spread. Extensive data available on gypsy moth in the USA allowed for such a comparison. We show that, even with spatially crude records of presence/absence, overall rates of spread do not differ substantially from estimates obtained from the more costly deployment of extensive trapping grids. Moreover, these methods can also be applied to the general study of species distributional changes, such as range expansion or retraction, in response to climate change or other environmental effects.     

Exploring stable pattern formation in models of tussock moth populations

1. The western tussock moth ( Orgyia vetusta ) at the University of California Bodega Marine Reserve (Sonoma County, California, USA) exhibits dense, localized populations in the midst of extensive habitats where variation in host plant quality or predator abundance is unable to explain the restricted extent of the outbreaks.
2. Two primary features suggest that the host patterning is intrinsically generated: (i) female tussock moths are wingless, producing a low effective dispersal distance for the hosts; and (ii) the tussock moth population is attacked by several species of widely dispersing wasp and fly parasitoids.
3. We consider a set of spatially explicit host–parasitoid models to examine whether intrinsically generated patterns are possible within this system. These models include a spatially extended Nicholson–Bailey model to examine general features of pattern formation in host–parasitoid systems, and two system-specific models, an individual-based simulation and a population-level analytic model, to examine the details of this empirical system.
4. Both stable patterning and rapid extinction of the host population are initial-condition dependent outcomes of the general and specific models, implying that an intrinsically generated stable host pattern is feasible within the tussock moth system.
5. Stable patterning is enhanced by a large parasitoid-to-host dispersal ratio, local host resource limitation, and increased parasitism at the host patch's edge.     

Lepidoptera‐specific insecticide used to suppress gypsy moth outbreaks may benefit non‐target forest Lepidoptera

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Observations of the flight behaviour of the army worm moth, Spodoptera exempta, at an emergence site using radar and infra-red optical techniques

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Studies were made in Kenya of the flight behaviour of African armyworm moths which had emerged from areas previously infested with‘gregarious’caterpillars. The use of radar and an infra-red optical detector permitted quantitative, direct observations of the flying moths, over all of their flight altitudes, without disturbing their behaviour.
• 2 Almost all of the successfully emergent moths climbed to altitudes of several hundred metres above ground level and migrated from the emergence sites. Their migratory flights sometimes started on the night of emergence, but on other occasions the moths remained roosting in trees until dawn, then engaged in short dispersal flights, concealed themselves during the day. and commenced migration in mass flights at dusk the following night.
• 3 The onset of these‘dusk flights’occurred when the irradiance level fell on average to 2.7 × 10^?5Wm^?2 nm^?1 in the 450–800 nm range (in the photometric units appropriate for human vision this corresponds approximately to 2 lux). The‘dawn flights’began with the first sustained increase in irradiance at dawn, and terminated at the end of dawn twilight.
• 4 Migratory flight in the strong, easterly winds which usually occurred during the first half of the night resulted in rapid, down-wind displacement to the west. Observations of groups of flying moths passing successively over two radars demonstrated that these migrations could cover at least 20 km.
• 5 In the second half of the night, winds were usually weak and variable, and up-wind or cross-wind directions of displacement were sometimes observed.
• 6 Moths were observed to disperse rapidly during their migration, so that the mass influxes which lead to outbreaks must be a consequence of subsequent reconcentration. The importance of meso-scale wind convergence zones in reconcentrating flying moths, and the role of rainfall in inducing descent, and possibly landing, are discussed.

     

Downwind migration of the African army worm moth, Spodoptera exempta, studied by mark-and-capture and by radar

Abstract. 1. About 166,000 African armyworm moths, Spodoptera exempta (Walk.), were marked at an emergence site near Nairobi when they fed at night on trees baited with dyed molasses.
2. Six marked moths were captured in pheromone traps, including one at 90 km after flying for only one night, and another at 147 km.
3. Moth flight trajectories deduced from radar and from marking showed that migration was downwind.
4. During migration, moths become dispersed; hence the high densities that lead to outbreaks must be produced by concentration.
5. Some moths were ready to mate on the same night they completed their long-distance flight.     

Radar observations of the spring migration into northeastern China of the oriental armyworm moth, Mythimna separata, and other insects

Abstract. 1. The spring migration of the oriental armyworm moth, Mythimna separata (Walker), and other insects into northeastern China was observed by radar at a site in central Jilin province. Samples of the migrants were obtained in a net flown from a kite, and M.separata populations in the surrounding region were monitored with a trap network. 2. The radar regularly detected echoes which were of the type characteristic of large insects, and three out of four large insects in the aerial samples were noctuid moths, including one M.separata. Catches of armyworm moths in the regional trap network peaked during the period of radar observations. 3. Migration occurred at night. It commenced with a take-off flight at dusk and generally continued until dawn, with numbers often being highest around midnight. Most migration took place at altitudes below 500 m, with strong layer concentrations forming at 200–400 m during the middle part of some nights. 4. Migration was approximately downwind. The net movement was overwhelmingly to the northeast because southwesterly winds occurred most frequently and were relatively strong, and because migration was more intense and prolonged on these winds. Orientation tended to be to the left of the downwind direction, and was most often to the north or northeast. 5. Migration into northeastern China was accomplished in a series of night-time movements of 100–300 km rather than by a single non-stop flight. 6. The net movement of insects towards the northeast was sufficient to produce the observed regional infestation of M.separata moths. Oviposition by immigrant armyworm moths in vulnerable crops would have been at a level where economically significant damage would be expected from the resulting larval population. 7. Analogous springtime migrations of noctuids leading to temporary colonizations of habitats at higher latitudes occur in other continents. Such colonizations may be unproductive if, as appears possibly the case for northeastern China, prevailing winds later in the season are generally unfavourable for a return migration towards overwintering areas at lower latitudes.     

Optimal strategies for insects migrating in the flight boundary layer: mechanisms and consequences

Directed aerial displacement requires that a volant organism'sairspeed exceeds ambient wind speed. For biologically relevantaltitudes, wind speed increases exponentially with increasedheight above the ground. Thus, dispersal of most insects isinfluenced by atmospheric conditions. However, insects thatfly close to the Earth's surface displace within the flightboundary layer where insect airspeeds are relatively high. Overthe past 17 years, we have studied boundary-layer insects byfollowing individuals as they migrate across the Caribbean Seaand the Panama Canal. Although most migrants evade either droughtor cold, nymphalid and pierid butterflies migrate across Panamanear the onset of the rainy season. Dragonflies of the genusPantala migrate in October concurrently with frontal weathersystems. Migrating the furthest and thereby being the most difficultto study, the diurnal moth Urania fulgens migrates between Centraland South America. Migratory butterflies and dragonflies arecapable of directed movement towards a preferred compass directionin variable winds, whereas the moths drift with winds over water.Butterflies orient using both global and local cues. Consistentwith optimal migration theory, butterflies and dragonflies adjusttheir flight speeds in ways that maximize migratory distancetraveled per unit fuel, whereas the moths do not. Moreover,only butterflies adjust their flight speed in relation to endogenousfat reserves. It is likely that these insects use optic flowto gauge their speed and drift, and thus must migrate wheresufficient detail in the Earth's surface is visible to them.The abilities of butterflies and dragonflies to adjust theirairspeed over water indicate sophisticated control and guidancesystems pertaining to migration.     

粘虫飞行对生殖及寿命的影响

该文报道了粘虫Mythimna separata（Walker）成虫飞行后产卵、交配及寿命的研究结果。1日龄成虫飞行6 h、12 h、18 h、24 h后的产卵前期均显著短于对照的,其中飞行6 h、12 h的比对照的短2天以上,产卵量均比对照的高。对1～5日龄成虫分别飞行23.5 h后的研究结果表明,1日龄飞行的产卵前期和上述结果相一致。2～4日龄飞行的与对照的没有显著差异,但产卵量则随飞行日龄的延迟而逐渐减少。5日龄飞行的产卵前期显著延长,产卵量已不到对照的一半。所有经过飞行的成虫产卵高峰日比对照的早1天。不同日龄成虫飞行时间、距离与成虫产卵量的关系为：1～3日龄飞行时间、距离长的个体产卵量也高;但4～5日龄的成虫飞行时间与距离越长,其产卵量越少,表现出明显的卵子发生飞行拮抗症(oogenesis-flight syndrome)。除了5日龄飞行的成虫交配率有所下降以外,所有经过飞行的成虫产卵历期、交配率及寿命与对照的没有显著差异。最后,根据这些结果,对粘虫迁飞的起飞时期,迁飞在粘虫生殖、种群动态及成灾规律中的作用进行了讨论。     

Persistent, localized outbreaks in the western tussock moth Orgyia vetusta: the roles of resource quality, predation and poor dispersal

1. On stands of the abundant perennial lupins Lupinus arboreus and L. chamissonis on the California coast, the western tussock moth Orgyia vetusta Bdv. occurs as only a few localized populations, which are locally dense enough to defoliate the host plants and yet do not appear to spread.
2. To determine what limits the spatial distribution of this insect, and therefore its global abundance, experiments were performed at three sites, examining the roles of host-plant quality, predator abundance, rates of predation and dispersal.
3. At no site did host quality, predator abundance or rates of predation vary spatially in a way that would explain the location of the outbreak. However, adult female tussock moths are flightless, and rates of long-distance aerial dispersal ('ballooning') by first-instar larvae were very low at all sites. Poor dispersal is the only consistent explanation for the limited distribution of the tussock moth.     

Spatial analysis of harmonic oscillation of gypsy moth outbreak intensity

Outbreaks of many forest-defoliating insects are synchronous over broad geographic areas and occur with a period of approximately 10 years. Within the range of the gypsy moth in North America, however, there is considerable geographic heterogeneity in strength of periodicity and the frequency of outbreaks. Furthermore, gypsy moth outbreaks exhibit two significant periodicities: a dominant period of 8–10 years and a subdominant period of 4–5 years. In this study, we used a simulation model and spatially referenced time series of outbreak intensity data from the Northeastern United States to show that the bimodal periodicity in the intensity of gypsy moth outbreaks is largely a result of harmonic oscillations in gypsy moth abundance at and above a 4 km² scale of resolution. We also used geographically weighted regression models to explore the effects of gypsy moth host-tree abundance on the periodicity of gypsy moths. We found that the strength of 5-year cycles increased relative to the strength of 10-year cycles with increasing host tree abundance. We suggest that this pattern emerges because high host-tree availability enhances the growth rates of gypsy moth populations.     

Pheromone‐trapping the nun moth,Lymantria monacha (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) in Inner Mongolia,China

The nun moth, Lymantria monacha L., is one of the most important defoliators of Eurasian coniferous forests. Outbreaks during 2011–2015 in the natural/planted larch, and larch‐birch mixed forests of the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia, China, caused tremendous timber losses from severe defoliation and tree mortality. A series of trapping experiments were conducted in these outbreak areas to evaluate the efficacy of a synthetic species‐specific pheromone lure based on the female pheromone blend of European nun moth populations. Our results clearly show that the nun moth in Inner Mongolia is highly and specifically attracted to this synthetic pheromone, with few gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) captured. Flight activity monitoring of L. monacha male moths using pheromone‐baited Unitraps at 2 locations during the summer of 2015 indicated that the flight period started in mid‐July, peaking in early August at both locations. Based on male moth captures, there was a strong diurnal rhythm of flight activity throughout the entire scotophase, peaking between 22:00 and 24:00. Unitraps and wing traps had significantly and surprisingly higher catches than the gypsy moth traps. Unitraps fastened to tree trunks 2 m above ground caught significantly more male moths than those at the ground level or at 5 m height. Male L. monacha moths can be attracted to pheromone‐baited traps in open areas 150–200 m distant from the infested forest edge. Our data should allow improvement on the performance of pheromone‐baited traps for monitoring or mass‐trapping to combat outbreaks of this pest in northeastern China.     

Forest Modification Affects Diversity (But Not Dynamics) of Speciose Tropical Pyraloid Moth Communities

We studied temporal and spatial dynamics of extremely diverse moth ensembles (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) along a gradient of forest disturbance ranging from undisturbed primary tropical rain forest to different kinds of modified forest and open cultivated land at the margin of Mount Kinabalu National Park (Sabah, East Malaysia). We sampled moths by light trapping during two periods (March‐May and August‐September 1997). We collected a total of 7724 individuals representing 680 species during 78 light‐trapping nights at six study sites. Species diversity (Fisher's α) of ensembles in undisturbed primary forest was distinctly higher than in disturbed or secondary forest. More pyraloid moths were attracted in undisturbed primary forest. Samples from disturbed primary or old‐growth secondary forest were statistically indistinguishable from the undisturbed primary forest ensemble in regard to species composition. Thus, pyraloid ensembles from disturbed forest with tall trees remaining appeared to represent impoverished subsets of the undisturbed primary forest community. The more heavily disturbed sites had a distinct fauna and showed a stronger faunal differentiation among each other. Four species of the genus Eoophyla, in which aquatic larvae feed on algae in fast‐running streams benefited prominently from forest disturbance. Temporal variation of ensembles was remarkably concordant across the disturbance gradient. Relative abundance variation of the commonest species was identical at all sites. Overall, pyraloid moths responded more sensitively to anthropogenic habitat alteration than most other moth taxa studied thus far in tropical regions and allowed for an analysis of diversity patterns at a high temporal resolution.     

Viability of cotton and canola pollen on the proboscis of Helicoverpa armigera: implications for spread of transgenes and pollination ecology

Abstract.  1. Pollen can be transported thousands of kilometres by insects but its viability after long-distance transport is not known. Knowing the potential for this mechanism to cause outcrossing of transgenes from genetically modified (GM) plants is important for risk assessments.
2. The viability of pollen from cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) and canola ( Brassica napus L.) was determined after placing it on the proboscis of Helicoverpa armigera moths for intervals of up to 32 h. Viability of both cotton and canola pollen declined at a much greater rate when in contact with the moth proboscis. Most was non-viable by 8 h compared with 16 h for control cotton pollen or 32 h for canola pollen.
3. There was no significant difference in the rate of decline of pollen viability between the five conventional cotton varieties, or between these and the one GM cotton variety used in these experiments.
4. The number of canola pollen grains remaining on the proboscis declined over time. Very few cotton pollen grains were retained on the proboscis.
5. The reduction in pollen viability during contact with the proboscis might indicate partial ingestion of the pollen via the proboscis.
6. The points above suggest that pollen is unlikely to remain attached or remain viable when carried over large distances by H. armigera . The implications for spread of pollen from transgenic plants and for pollination ecology in general are discussed.     

Moth sex pheromone adsorption to leaf surface: bridge in time for chemical spies

Abstract When brussels sprouts leaves were exposed to air passed over a single calling Mamestra brassicae moth, sex pheromone was adsorbed onto the leaf surface to such an extent that it subsequently elicited behavioural responses in conspecific male moths, as well as in female Trichogramma evanescens , egg parasitoids of M. brassicae. Male moths responded to odour-treated leaves over a short distance (c. 5 cm) in a wind tunnel, but were not attracted at a distance of 1 m. In contrast, sex pheromone adsorbed to and re-released from the glass wall of a wind tunnel compartment attracted male moths from 1 m. Trichogramma's locomotory behaviour on leaves is described. On leaves previously exposed to air passed over a calling female moth, Trichogramma wasps stayed significantly longer on leaves treated with clean air or air passed over a non-calling female moth. In addition, wasps spent relatively more time along the margin and on the leaf underside on treated leaves compared with control leaves. All effects persisted for at least 4 h, and after 24 h treated leaves still increased wasp residence times. These results are the first example of responses of male moths to adsorbed airborne sex pheromone originating from a single female moth. They further suggest how sex pheromone released by nocturnal moths may function as a kairomone for diurnally foraging parasitoids.