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Thirty-six species and three genera of moths are recorded for the first time in Colombia, in the families Notodontidae (31 spp., 2 genera), Saturniidae (4 spp., 1 genus), and Sphingidae (1 sp.). All records are based on photographs of live individuals attracted to white and UV lights.

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The article presents the results of studying the fauna of Lepidoptera in the North Kazakhstan region in the field season of 2023. An annotated check-list includes 162 species from the families Psychidae, Plutellidae, Depressariidae, Autostichidae, Gelechiidae, Pterophoridae, Pyralidae, Crambidae, Tortricidae, Cossidae, Sesiidae, Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Satyridae, Drepanidae, Geometridae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Endromididae, Sphingidae, Notodontidae, Arctiidae, Erebidae, Noctuidae. 47 species reported from the North Kazakhstan region for the first time.

We analyse anchored hybrid enrichment data from densely sampled tribes and subfamilies of Notodontidae (Prominent Moths). Notodontidae are monophyletic except for an assemblage of genera related to Thacona Walker (=Scrancia Holland), which had been recognized at either the tribal or subfamilial rank within Notodontidae. We elevate and re‐describe Scranciidae stat. nov. as a family distinct from the six currently recognized noctuoid families (Noctuidae, Erebidae, Euteliidae, Nolidae, Notodontidae and Oenosandridae). Scranciidae include 22 genera comprising approximately 100 species—distributed in Africa, Asia and Australia. We re‐interpret morphological synapomorphies previously proposed for Notodontidae (including Scranciidae) and for the trifid Noctuoidea more broadly. Deep‐level relationships within Noctuoidea are not well resolved outside the clade comprising the four quadrifid families (Noctuidae, Erebidae, Euteliidae and Nolidae). The phylogenetic position of Scranciidae relative to Notodontidae, Oenosandridae and the quadrifids varied markedly depending on data type (amino acid vs. nucleotide) and analytical framework (maximum likelihood, multi‐species coalescent and parsimony). We discuss the possible roles of missing data and short branch lengths in resolving the placement of Scranciidae. In the topology best supported by the most available data, Scranciidae are sister to the remaining Noctuoidea, highlighting their phylogenetic significance. We provide a provisional list of the genera included in Scranciidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article considers 12 species from the families of Geometridae, Notodontidae, Erebidae, Noctuidae reported from the territory of Omsk and Novosibirsk Regions of Russia. 5 species are new to Omsk Region, among them, Horisme aemulata (Hübner, 1813), Herminia grisealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Hydraecia osseola (Staudinger, 1882), Euxoa hastifera (Donzel, 1847), Agrotis robusta Eversmann, 1856. 7 species are new to Novosibirsk Region, among them, Limeria macraria Staudinger, 1892, Scopula tessellaria (Boisduval, 1840), Cerura przewalskyi (Alheraky, 1882), Pachetra sagittigera (Hufnagel, 1766), Hadena christophi (Möschler, 1862), Mythimna anderreggii (Boisduval, 1840), Agrotis robusta Eversmann, 1856. The presence of Phaiogramma etruscaria (Zeller, 1849) in Novosibirsk Region confirmed by new materials.

Simple Summary: Thaumetopoea pityocampa caterpillars are a significant pest of conifer trees in Europe and live gregariously in a communal tent with siblings and conspecifics from other colonies. Despite their economic and medical importance, there has been a lack of quantitative information on the tent construction and foraging behaviour in T. pityocampa colonies. In this study, we observed the tent construction and foraging behaviour of T. pityocampa caterpillars in the field at Tregnago, Verona, Italy. At around sunset, large male caterpillars emerged from the tent first to construct the tent, while many female caterpillars emerged later in the night only to forage. As younger instar caterpillars moulted to older larval instars, the environmental temperature decreased, which consequently increased the duration of their foraging activities. The final tent structure constructed by later instar caterpillars was not isodiametric; more silk was applied on the southern side of the tent to receive maximum insolation during the winter months. This study demonstrated the importance of the winter tent and individual variation in tent construction and foraging behaviour of T. pityocampa caterpillars amongst sex, body size, and larval instar and lays the basis for further investigation in polyethism. As a social organism, living in a communal structure is one of the most important physical barriers against environmental elements and natural enemies. Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Notodontidae, Thaumetopoeinae) caterpillars are conifer pests that spend most of their larval stage in winter. Although T. pityocampa holds economic and medical significance, the tent construction and foraging behaviour are poorly understood. We observed the tent construction behaviour in autumn (October and November) when third- and fourth-instar T. pityocampa caterpillars build the 'winter tent' that can withstand winter conditions. Just before sunset, with no rain and temperatures over 12 °C, tent construction was undertaken by early active individuals, primarily larger male caterpillars. Early active caterpillars emerge from the tent first and spin silk on the tent for expansion and strength. Once temperatures dropped below 12 °C and twilight had passed, the early active caterpillars went out to forage and were later joined by the late active caterpillars, which were predominantly smaller females that had remained inside the tent. Foraging behaviour was continuously monitored for the first to fourth larval instars in the field. Foraging was more frequent in younger instars when environmental temperatures were warmer and became continuous and prolonged in later instar caterpillars as temperatures dropped. The final tent structure built by later instar caterpillars had the thickest layer of silk on the southern side of the tent compared to other orientations to receive maximum solar radiation during the winter. Our study provided additional insights into the collective nest building, foraging and social behaviours observed in Lepidoptera, as well as the roles of individuals within non-eusocial insect colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Early detection of insect infestation is a key to the adoption of control measures appropriated to each local condition. The use of remote sensing was recommended for a quick scanning of large areas, although it does not work well with signals bearing low intensity or items that are difficult to detect. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, or drone) may help in getting closer to individual trees and detect atypical signals of small dimensions. The larvae of the pine processionary moth (PPM, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775, Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) build conspicuous silk nests on the external parts of the host plants at the beginning of the winter and their early detection may prompt managers to adopt management techniques. This work aims at testing two deep learning methods (Region-based Convolutional Neural Network - R-CNN and You Only Look Once - YOLO) to detect the nests under three different conditions of host plant species and forest stands in southern Europe. YOLO algorithm provided better results and it allowed us to achieve F1-scores as high as 0.826 and 0.696 for the detection of presence / absence and the individual nests, respectively. The detection of all the nests that can be present on a tree is not achievable with either UAV scanning or traditional ground observation, therefore the integration of the methods may allow the complete efficiency of the surveillance. The use of UAV combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) image analysis is recommended for further use in forest and urban settings for the detection of the PPM nests. The recommended methods can be extended to other pest systems, especially when specific symptoms can be associated with an insect pest species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Three new species of Hapigia Guenée, 1854, from Brazil and Ecuador, are described: H. postpallida Becker sp. nov., H. violacea Becker, sp. nov. and H. violetta Becker, sp. nov.

Two species of moths, Drasteria christophi (Alphéraky, 1895) (Erebidae) and Protarchanara abrupta Eversmann, 1854 (Noctuidae), are reported from Russia for the first time; seventeen species of Notodontidae and Noctuidae are found as new for the fauna of Astrakhan and Volgograd Territories (Southern Russia).

In gregarious insects, groups commonly originate from females laying eggs in masses and feeding groups are established as soon as larvae hatch. Some group‐living insect species may aggregate beyond the individual parent level, such that offspring from two or more egg masses develop within a common resource.Here we show that aggregative oviposition can vary with population density at oviposition and possibly be an important factor in outbreak dynamics of phytophagous insects.We analysed density data with respect to egg mass aggregation for two species of pine processionary moths, Thaumetopoea pinivora (in Sweden 2005–2019) and T. pityocampa (in Spain 1973–1991). Both species lay their eggs in egg masses and feed in groups. During the study periods, insect population density for both species varied by at least an order of magnitude.The two species showed strikingly similar patterns of egg mass aggregation. Egg masses were overdispersed at high population density, with few trees showing a high load of egg masses.Our data suggest that aggregative oviposition can be important in explaining the previously documented higher propensity for outbreaks in insects laying eggs in clusters, compared with those laying individual eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phalera bucephala belongs to the moth of Notodontidae family. The food plant list of its larvae covers many tree and shrub species, including those used in energy crops and agroforestry. The aim of this study was to collect and organise the information available in selected online literature databases on the buff-tip, taking into account scientific articles published in the last decade. In addition to a description of the insect's appearance, the review covers issues concerning its occurrence, development, feeding mode, behaviour and relationship with other organisms. The summary also assesses the usefulness of the web sources used to characterise the species in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species Neocerura convergata under the genus Neocerura Matsumura, 1929 has been described and illustrated. This species is closely related to N. liturata Walker, 1855 (type species) and completely conforms to the characterization of the genus. The wing maculation, larger size, and genitalic features make it distinct. The taxonomic account of N. liturata Walker, 1855 has also been included. The revival of the genus Neocerura Matsumura, 1929 has also been justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a social organism, living in a communal structure is one of the most important physical barriers against environmental elements and natural enemies. Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Notodontidae, Thaumetopoeinae) caterpillars are conifer pests that spend most of their larval stage in winter. Although T. pityocampa holds economic and medical significance, the tent construction and foraging behaviour are poorly understood. We observed the tent construction behaviour in autumn (October and November) when third- and fourth-instar T. pityocampa caterpillars build the ‘winter tent’ that can withstand winter conditions. Just before sunset, with no rain and temperatures over 12 °C, tent construction was undertaken by early active individuals, primarily larger male caterpillars. Early active caterpillars emerge from the tent first and spin silk on the tent for expansion and strength. Once temperatures dropped below 12 °C and twilight had passed, the early active caterpillars went out to forage and were later joined by the late active caterpillars, which were predominantly smaller females that had remained inside the tent. Foraging behaviour was continuously monitored for the first to fourth larval instars in the field. Foraging was more frequent in younger instars when environmental temperatures were warmer and became continuous and prolonged in later instar caterpillars as temperatures dropped. The final tent structure built by later instar caterpillars had the thickest layer of silk on the southern side of the tent compared to other orientations to receive maximum solar radiation during the winter. Our study provided additional insights into the collective nest building, foraging and social behaviours observed in Lepidoptera, as well as the roles of individuals within non-eusocial insect colonies.

We present a de novo mitogenome assembly obtained from specimens sampled in the so-called summer population (SP) of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775) in Portugal. Contrary to the typical larval development occurring in winter in this species, the larvae of this unique population develop during summer. The sequencing data used were obtained from genomic libraries originally generated to assemble the nuclear genome of T. pityocampa [1]. We also provide a complete annotation and a phylogenetic representation which positions the Portuguese summer population of T. pityocampa and an Italian typical individual of the same species among the Notodontidae family and more distant Noctuoidea species. This data represents a valuable new resource for an expanding and urticating insect pest.

New finds of five nemoral species of Notodontidae and Erebidae in the Lower Ussuri basin (Bikin district of the Khabarovsk region) are presented. Odontosia patricia Stichel, 1918 (Notodontidae), Zanclognatha lilacina (Butler, 1879) and Enispa albosignata (Staudinger, 1892) (Erebidae) were found in the Khabarovsk region for the first time. In the past, the only Russian records of these species had come from the southern part of Primorsky region. The habitation of Phalera assimilis (Bremer et Grey, 1853) (Notodontidae) in the Khabarovsk region has been confirmed. New finds of a rare species Numenes disparilis Staudinger, 1887 (Erebidae) outside of its regular flight time are presented.

Observations are made of the behaviour of the larvae of the Puss Moth Cerura vinula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects have evolved highly specific and sensitive olfactory sensory systems to detect plant hosts and mates. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play an important role in this process, but in this respect there is limited information on Clostera restitura, one of the most destructive defoliators of poplars in China. In the present study, we first identified seven candidate CSPs in C. restitura. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that these candidate proteins possessed typical characteristics of the insect CSP family and were similar to those of other Lepidoptera. These genes were expressed in different developmental stages and tissues, and the levels of expression differed after mating. Some CresCSPs were more associated with development and others with mating. They may play an important role in host recognition, egg development and mating behaviour. Furthermore, the CSPs were ubiquitously detected in all tissues and most of them were highly expressed in antennae, especially female antennae. We suggest the CresCSPs may contribute to female oviposition site recognition. CresCSPs that are highly transcribed in wings and legs, may function in gustation. This study provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of olfaction in C. restitura and environmentally friendly pest management strategy for controlling C. restitura.

The expectation is that the phenology of an herbivore is influenced by abiotic factors and its own population density during development. In this study, we investigated how the pupal density affected the pupal traits and emergence of Thaumetopoea pityocampa moths over a period of 3 years in two clearings in a pine forest. The pupae were larger in years when the pupal density was high and in the clearing exposed to less solar radiation. There was no relationship between the time of pupation and pupal size. Large pupae were positively correlated with an early emergence of adult moths and a longer period of adult emergence. Up to 13.9% of the pupae developed without cocoons, especially in years when they were abundant, but this did not affect the emergence of the moths. Incidence of pupal diapause was density-dependent and only occurred at a low level in dense populations. Overall, our results indicate that gregariousness confers important fitness-related advantages in this species.

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT The Notodontidae genus Xylodonta Becker, 2014 is represented by 20 species, five of them new, four from Brazil: X. giffordi sp. n., X. imitans sp. n., X. ochreibasis sp. n., and X. robustoides sp. n.; and one from Guatemala: X. monzoni sp. n.; one species: X. pythia (Druce, 1894) stat. rev., is removed from the synonymy with X. xylinata (Walker, 1865), three: X. placida (Schaus, 1911) syn. n. and X. riparia (Druce, 1906) syn. n. (=X. guarana (Schaus, 1892)) and X. patrickgoodwilliei Chacón, 2017 syn. n. (=X. xylinata (Walker, 1865)) are synonymized; and one: N. russula (Dognin, 1909) comb. n. is transferred to Nycterotis Felder. Diagnosis and illustrations of adults and genitalia of all species recorded from Brazil are provided to allow their identification.

Establishing in the right location is particularly important for larval insects. Lepidopteran females are generally selective when choosing oviposition sites to ensure the best survival for their offspring. Unlike most social and shelterbuilding Lepidoptera, egg batches of the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa Denis & Schiffermüller (1775) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), are oviposited randomly on the host tree. Thaumetopoea pityocampa is gregarious throughout all larval instars and live in silken tents, spun repeatedly and maintained by the colony during larval development. In this study, a single T. pityocampa egg batch was transplanted on Pinus nigra trees free from natural egg batches in one of four compass orientations: north, east, south or west. The orientation of transplanted egg batches had no significant effect on the final survival of the larvae. Thaumetopoea pityocampa larvae were behavioural thermoregulators from first to final instar and tended to position their tent in a southerly orientation for maximum sun exposure. Thermoregulation was the utmost priority for T. pityocampa larvae as they feed through the winter. Feeding behaviour and number of tents built by early instars changed as larvae became older, and this could be explained by natural enemy avoidance and/or evasion of plant defence. The results can help predict larval movement and assist in pest management strategies for T. pityocampa at a microhabitat level. This study is the first to investigate detailed movement behaviour of all T. pityocampa larval instars on a host tree, describing the transition of larvae starting as patch-restricted foragers to central place foragers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In North America, notodontid caterpillars feed predominantly on hardwood trees; some cause significant economic damage with periodic outbreaks. The late instars of several species cut girdles around the petiole, rachis, or stem before feeding on distal leaf blades. Little is known about the benefits or costs of girdling for caterpillars. In this paper, we analyzed the energetic cost of girdling by comparing final instars of a girdling notodontid, Oedemasia leptinoides, with two non-girdling notodontids, Cecrita guttivitta and Lochmaeus manteo. Time allocated to four behaviors (girdling, feeding, walking, and inactive) was measured in the field with 3-h observations each day over three days. We also measured metabolic rates for the four behaviors using flow-through respirometry. The metabolic rate for each behavior was multiplied by the time spent over the 9 h of observation to estimate the total energetic cost of each behavior. In the field, O. leptinoides on black hickory (Carya texana) spent 4.6 ± 0.9% of their time girdling. They cut girdles primarily on the first day and fed on leaves mostly on days 2 and 3. Their metabolic rate during girdling was similar to feeding and walking, but greater than inactivity. Overall, the larvae utilized 6.4 ± 1.2% of their total energy while girdling. Relative to non-girdlers, O. leptinoides larvae spent significantly less time and energy feeding on leaves suggesting a trade-off between girdling and feeding. To our knowledge, this study is the first to quantify the energetic cost of an insect behavior for modifying host plants before feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population fluctuations of the well-known oak defoliator, the oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea L.), were studied using light trap data and basic meteorological parameters (monthly average temperatures, and precipitation) at three locations in Western Hungary over a period of 15 years (1988-2012). The fluctuations in the numbers caught by the three traps were strongly synchronized. One possible explanation for this synchrony may be similar weather at the three trapping locations. Cyclic Reverse Moving Interval Techniques (CReMIT) were used to define the period of time in a year that most strongly influences the catches. For this period, we defined a species specific aridity index for Thaumetopoea processionea (THAU-index). This index explains 54.8-68.9% of the variation in the yearly catches, which indicates that aridity, particularly in the May-July period was the major determinant of population fluctuations. Our results predict an increasing future risk of Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) outbreaks and further spread if the frequency of severe spring/summer droughts increases with global warming.

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa is a defoliating lepidopter that develops during winter. The larvae are gregarious and bear urticating setae that are harmful to humans and vertebrates. They shelter in conspicuous silk tents that are easy to detect. We here present a dataset comprising tree characterization and tent counts from 3 agglomerations in France located in regions with different climatic environments. The studied trees belong to various conifer species that are potential hosts for the caterpillars. In each site, we defined clusters as one target tree and its 10-62 nearest neighbors, and surveyed each tree within the clusters by informing: tree species, coordinates, size, number of tents. We characterized a total of 3690 trees, including 2009 trees in Orléans (grouped in 68 clusters), 359 trees in La Baule (18 clusters) and 1322 trees in Montpellier (52 clusters). We provide the raw data characterizing each individual tree, graphs showing the prevalence and mean number of tents for the tree species included in the survey, and maps allowing to locate each tree. This dataset brings information about host preference of the pine processionary moth and will be useful as a baseline to study spatio-temporal variability of host-insect relationships. It can also be informative for decision-makers and managers of urban greenings to avoid trees that are likely to be heavily infested for plantation in proximity to vulnerable people., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

The external morphological characters including the male and female genital features of Rachia striata Hampson have been studied and illustrated in detail. The taxonomic position of genus Rachia Moore in subfamily Periergosinae has been justified. The external morphological characters particularly the genitalic features such as robust uncus, massive gnathos, serrated process on costa, and bifurcated aedeagus completely conform to the characterization of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expectation is that the phenology of an herbivore is influenced by abiotic factors and its own population density during development. In this study, we investigated how the pupal density affected the pupal traits and emergence of Thaumetopoea pityocampa moths over a period of 3 years in two clearings in a pine forest. The pupae were larger in years when the pupal density was high and in the clearing exposed to less solar radiation. There was no relationship between the time of pupation and pupal size. Large pupae were positively correlated with an early emergence of adult moths and a longer period of adult emergence. Up to 13.9% of the pupae developed without cocoons, especially in years when they were abundant, but this did not affect the emergence of the moths. Incidence of pupal diapause was density-dependent and only occurred at a low level in dense populations. Overall, our results indicate that gregariousness confers important fi tness-related advantages in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diapause development is a complex process involving several eco‐physiological phases. Understanding these phases, especially diapause termination, is vital for interpreting the life history of many insect species and for developing suitable predictive models of population dynamics. The pine processionary moth is a major defoliator of pine and a vertebrate health hazard in the Mediterranean region. This species can display either univoltine or semivoltine development, with a pupal diapause extending from a few months to several years, respectively. Although the ecological and applied importance of diapause is acknowledged, its physiological regulation in either case remains obscure. In the present study, we characterize pre‐termination, termination and post‐termination phases of pupae developing as univoltine or remaining in prolonged diapause. Changes in metabolic activity are monitored continuously using thermocouples, comprising a novel method based on direct calorimetry, and periodically by use of O2 respirometry. The two methods clearly detect diapause termination in both types of pupae before any visible morphological or behavioural changes can be observed. Univoltine individuals are characterized by an increase in metabolic activity from pre‐termination through to termination and post‐termination, ultimately resulting in emergence. Remarkably, a synchronous termination is observed in individuals that enter prolonged diapause instead of emerging; however, in these pupae, the increased metabolic activity is only transient. The present study represents a starting point toward understanding the eco‐physiology of diapause development processes in the pupae of the pine processionary moth. The pupae of the pine processionary moth enter a short diapause after which they produce moths, whereas a variable proportion of them enters prolonged diapause.In the present study, changes in metabolic activity are monitored continuously using thermocouples and periodically using O2 respirometry.The two methods clearly detect diapause termination, which is synchronous in both univoltine and prolonged diapause individuals. Increased metabolic activity is only transient in diapausing pupae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pinivora (Treitschke, 1834) shows a highly scattered distribution with fragmented populations across Europe. A previous study exploring the postglacial history of T. pinivora defined it as a cold-tolerant relict species and concluded that a progressive reduction of suitable habitats after the postglacial expansion from refugia in the southern Iberian peninsula best explained the distribution and genetic structure of populations of this species. However, recent records, both by us and others, challenge this view. Surprisingly, some of the newly found populations from southern Spain use black pine, Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold as a host plant despite the fact that the typical host of the species, Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L. occurs in the area. We provide genetic data for one of these recently found southern populations where the larvae feed on P. nigra, and compare this with previously published data on individuals collected on P. sylvestris. This data reveals that populations from different host trees are no more genetically differentiated than populations sharing the same host plant. The findings of a wider diet breadth open the way to widen the search for the still unidentified glacial refugium of T. pinivora, and as such may contribute to a better understanding about how the species has spread across Europe.