David Element

 

Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images

 

__________________________________________________________________________Moths 80 – Gypsy Moths

 

 

 

 

A close-up of a moth Description automatically generated

 

                                                                                                          GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (m)                                                                     

 

A moth on a tree Description automatically generated                     A white moth with black spots on it Description automatically generated

 

                                     GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)                                                                         GYPSY MOTHS Lymantris dispar (f, m)

 

A moth on a tree Description automatically generated                     A white moth on a tree Description automatically generated

 

                                   GYPSY MOTHS Lymantris dispar (f, m)                                                                          GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)

 

A close-up of a moth Description automatically generated                     A close-up of a moth Description automatically generated

 

                                     GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)                                                                            GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)

 

A close-up of a hairy spider Description automatically generated                     A close-up of a moth Description automatically generated

 

                                     GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)                                                                             GYPSY MOTH Lymantris dispar (f)

 

·         The sexually dimorphic Gypsy Moth Lymantris dispar (Lymantriidae) is a serious commercial pest in continental Europe as the larvae, well protected by irritating hairs and spines, are capable of defoliating mature trees, and therefore potentially killing them. This species (or possibly a native subspecies associated with fenland habitats that fed specifically on Bog-myrtle Myrica gale, and Creeping Willow Salix repens) had become extinct in the UK with human assistance (the fens were drained) early in the 20th century, but in recent years small breeding colonies have established themselves, so vigilance is required as the climate is now more akin to a Continental one in response to anthropogenic global warming, and particularly so in London in consequence of the ‘heat-island’ effect. Their progenitors are most likely to have been introduced in European produce, as the relatively heavy females don’t normally fly far from their hatching sites – they don’t need to as males are equipped with excellent detection devices. Their antennae have very large surface areas to pick up pheromonal signals from their potential mates, and they soon locate freshly emerged females! Poor biosecurity has failed to prevent certain invasive moths from opportunistically arriving in the UK, and experience has confirmed that prevention is far more effective (and cheaper!) than allowing an unconstrained genie to escape from its bottle. To some extent natural predators will help to contain the rampaging larvae, and a good example of an existing native species that could potentially be utilised to control them is the Forest Caterpillar-hunter Beetle Calosoma sycophanta, although the existing British population of this handsome beetle, nominally a ground beetle, but in reality, one that mainly inhabits trees when seeking prey, is currently limited to relatively few sites. All the above photographs were taken at a site in London in 2010 and 2019, except for the first image of a male taken in France, indicating that the European Gypsy Moth is perfectly capable of establishing breeding populations, and of thriving on the same plants as they have traditionally used in Europe. A concern is that the larvae are less selective about the food-plants that they will eat than the extinct population – for example, Lime Tilia spp. trees were being used for oviposition in some of the above photographs. After the pictures had been taken of the ovipositing female, great care was taken by the photographer to squash as many of her eggs as possible. She was presumed to have completed laying, and she was therefore unlikely to have survived for long after the completion of her biological purpose. At the time of writing, the situation with the Oak Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea processionea is more serious, as the larvae can pose a direct threat to human health via skin contact, quite apart from their defoliation of Oaks Quercus spp. Highly specific biological, safe, control mechanisms using Bacillus thuringiensis (with little or no collateral damage to other species) are being deployed by responsible site managers to restrict the spread of recently established colonies in London.

 

 

-> Moths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122

 

-> Species Index, Common Names

 

-> Species Index, Scientific Names

 

-> Site Index

 

-> Home

 

© David Element