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DNA barcoding and morphological analyses of Korean Lymantria (Erebidae, Lepidoptera) were conducted for quarantine inspection. In DNA barcoding, Lymantria dispar identified through quarantine inspection was distinguished as three species, L. dispar asiatica, L. albescens, and L. xylina. Lymantria monacha, which is known as a single species in Korea, is revealed as containing three species, L. monacha, L. minomonis, and L. sugii. At the subspecies level, L. dispar dispar formed a single cluster, whereas L. d. asiatica and L. d. japonica formed a cluster containing both subspecies. In morphological re-examination on DNA barcoding results, L. dispar was distinguished from L. albescens by wing pattern, and from L. xylina by papillae anale. L. monacha and the related species were hard to be distinct from each other by using wing pattern, but it was easily distinct through comparison of genitalia. Therefore, DNA barcoding led to accurate identification in species level, but in subspecies level, only a taxon showing geographically far distance was discriminated from the others. These results may provide a taxonomic outline of the Korean Lymantria fauna and may be used as an identification reference for Lymantria species during quarantine inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral sensitivity of the compound eye in three gypsy moth species from six different geographical regions ( Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij [Asian gypsy moth], Lymantria dispar japonica Motschulsky [Japanese gypsy moth], and Lymantria dispar dispar L. [North American gypsy moth]) was tested electrophysiologically in the wavelength region 300-700 nm. For all moths examined, a maximum response occurred in the 480-520-nm range (blue-green region) with a shoulder peak occurring at 460 nm. A smaller, secondary peak was observed for both sexes at the 340-380-nm range, which is in the region considered behaviorally maximal in night-flying insects. No peaks in sensitivity were observed between 520 and 700 nm (red region) for any of the moths tested. Based on our retinal recording data, a short wavelength blocking filter with a transition wavelength near 500 nm should reduce gypsy moth attraction to artificial lighting sources. This would help reduce the number of Lymantria-infested ships traveling to and from foreign ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moth Lymantria xylina Swinhoe (1903) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) is a major defoliator of hardwood and fruit trees in Taiwan. Although the plants identified as host plants of L. xylina usually refer to plants used as food or as shelter, most of the host plant identifications have not considered the role of these hosts on larval development. This study investigated various instars feeding on different plants to assess the developmental diet breath of L. xylina. Forty-seven plant species, belonging to 25 families were used in feeding trials. Various bioassays, including first instar survival and long-term feeding trials, indicated the most suitable host plants for the different developmental stages. Results of the first instar survival trial indicated that first instars could survive only on 13 of the tested plant species. In addition, first instars could only successfully grow to pupa on seven of these 13 test plants species. To assess the developmental diet breath shifts of this moth, 38 plant species (excluding those nine plant species that the first instars did not feed upon) were fed to third and fifth instars in long-term feeding trials. Survival to pupa was noted on 12 and 13 test plant species for the third and fifth instars, respectively. In short, we found that the larvae performed differently when fed on various host plants and that the host plant range increased with the larval stage. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the host plant range of this moth and to consider host plant breadth together with the developmental stages of caterpillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moth Lymantria mathura Moore is a polyphagous defoliator of forest and fruit trees in the Russian Far East, Japan, India, and China, and it would cause serious economic consequences if established in North America. To project the host range of this insect if accidentally introduced into North America, we examined survival and development of 1st instars of L. mathura on 24 broadleafed and conifer tree species from North America, Europe, and Asia. L. mathura performed well on hosts in the family Fagaceae regardless of the species origin. Survival and rate of development on European beech, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., and American beech, Fagus syLvatica L., was equivalent to survival on oriental oak, QlIercus variabilis Blume. Performance of larvae was also high on white oak, Quercus alba L., and chestnut oak, Quercus prinus L. Suitability of other oaks, such as red oak, Quercus rubra L., black oak, Quercus velutina Lamarck, and pin oak, Quercus palustris Muenchh., was intermediate and equivalent to suitability of species from the families Juglandaceae, Betulaceae, and Oleaceae. Survival was poor on hosts from Aceraceae and Pinaceae. Comparison of host preferences and larval survival of L. mathura and of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), indicates differences between these species when tested on the same or congeneric host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maps of defoliation caused by the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), as well as point estimates of egg mass density and counts of male moths captured in pheromone-baited traps collected from the Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest from 1989- 1992 were assembled in a geographic information system. A maximum likelihood estimation procedure was used to fit 15 logistic regression models that predicted the probability of noticeable defoliation in 1-ha grid cells from various combinations of egg mass densities, counts of males in pheromone traps, presence of defoliation in the previous year, and distance to the expanding gypsy moth population front. Models that incorporated egg mass density estimates and distance to the infested front provided the most reliable predictions of defoliation probability. The performance of these models was comparable with decision errors encountered using various egg mass density thresholds alone. The errors associated with application of egg mass density thresholds and the various models were high and highlighted the need for improved methods for predicting defoliation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

DNA barcoding and morphological analyses of Korean Lymantria (Erebidae, Lepidoptera) were conducted for quarantine inspection. In DNA barcoding, Lymantria dispar identified through quarantine inspection was distinguished as three species, L. dispar asiatica, L. albescens, and L. xylina. Lymantria monacha, which is known as a single species in Korea, is revealed as containing three species, L. monacha, L. minomonis, and L. sugii. At the subspecies level, L. dispar dispar formed a single cluster, whereas L. d. asiatica and L. d. japonica formed a cluster containing both subspecies. In morphological re-examination on DNA barcoding results, L. dispar was distinguished from L. albescens by wing pattern, and from L. xylina by papillae anale. L. monacha and the related species were hard to be distinct from each other by using wing pattern, but it was easily distinct through comparison of genitalia. Therefore, DNA barcoding led to accurate identification in species level, but in subspecies level, only a taxon showing geographically far distance was discriminated from the others. These results may provide a taxonomic outline of the Korean Lymantria fauna and may be used as an identification reference for Lymantria species during quarantine inspection., (© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)