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The role of natural enemies in regulating the population of the outbreak species Orgyia trigotephras (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in North Africa

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Abstract

The outbreak species, Orgyia trigotephras caused significant defoliation in northeastern Tunisia in 2005. This work aims to elucidate the population cycle of this pest by testing a wide range of variation of fecundity and population growth. The recorded fecundity was at its highest peak with an average of 153 eggs/egg batch during outbreaks. The action of the complex of egg parasitoid/predator associated with O. trigotephras varies over time. The action of Aprostocetus sp. and Coccidiphila rungsella was at its utmost during the collapse phase of the insect in 2007 and 2014. Only these two species were recorded over our 17-year study. A low proportion of dried eggs versus a high proportion of unfertilized eggs were observed due to the poor quality of foliage consumed by the mother larva during its development. The correlation between fecundity and unfertilized eggs was highly significant. Fecundity change indicators of O. trigotephras are indirect, namely defoliation by high densities of larvae reducing leaf quality for the next generation. The abundance of the host species makes it easily found by parasitoids or vulnerable to parasitism. This strategy is used by O. trigotephras since the action of natural enemies is very low. Yet, the insect was not observed since 2018. It will be important to conduct large research in the region to see whether the insect is still present in the localities or relocate to other ones near the studied site.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to our forest technicians for their valuable help in the field. We wish to thank Emna DARGHOUTHI (mannouta@msn.com) for her assistance with the language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Carthage, National Institute for Research, in Rural Engineering Water and Forest (INRGREF), 2080, Ariana, Tunisia, Rue Hedi Karray, BP10

    Olfa Ezzine, Sonia Hammami & Mohamed Lahbib Ben Jamâa

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  1. Olfa Ezzine
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  2. Sonia Hammami
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  3. Mohamed Lahbib Ben Jamâa
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Correspondence to Olfa Ezzine.

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Ezzine, O., Hammami, S. & Ben Jamâa, M.L. The role of natural enemies in regulating the population of the outbreak species Orgyia trigotephras (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in North Africa. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 16, 469–475 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-022-09915-y

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