Evergreen foliage allows early hatching in a pine processionary moth and escape from predation

1. Seasonal variation in leaf quality and climate conditions often imposes constraints on the temporal occurrence of tree‐feeding insect larvae, but the seasonal effects of predation have received limited attention. In temperate climate zones, both the abundance and activity of predators can be expected to vary over time. 2. The study reported herein examined the impact of temporal variation in predator activity levels on the life history of an herbivorous insect feeding on a constant food source: previous‐year needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). In field experiments, the survival and growth rates of colonies of Thaumetopoea pinivora Treitschke larvae that had been manipulated to hatch at three different dates were compared. Eggs of T. pinivora usually hatch by mid‐April in southern Sweden, which is earlier than most other herbivorous insects that overwinter as eggs in this region. 3. Predator exclusion experiments indicated that larvae which hatched later than April experienced a higher level of predator activity, mainly by ants. The final larval size and the timing of pupation were not affected by hatching date. First instar larvae were more extensively preyed on than second instars. 4. The life history of herbivore species can be affected by seasonal variation in predation pressures. This study suggests that early hatching in a lepidopteran species can allow a temporal escape from predation during the vulnerable early life stages.