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The influence of geographic population, age, and mating status on the flight activity of the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in China

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Abstract

The gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus) is a highly polyphagous herbivore that defoliates a wide variety of tree species. The influence of age and mating status on the flight activity of females was assessed in seven geographically isolated populations from China. We examined flight activity of tethered females using a computer-linked flight mill in the laboratory and found that age significantly influenced flight parameters, including total flight distance, time, and speed. Flight distance peaked in the youngest females (at 1 day of age) and declined with age. No significant differences in flight parameters were found between unmated and mated females. Females from Guizhou showed the strongest flight activity among all seven populations. The total flight distances, flight times, and maximum flight speeds at 1 day of age were 7.50 ± 2.28 km, 2.17 ± 0.51 h, and 6.18 ± 0.51 km/h, respectively. These results provide valuable information regarding the scale and speed of dispersal in hotspots and can improve the management and control of forest damage.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Fang Chen, De-Peng Wang, and Yang Li for their help in sample collection. We also thank Prof. Zhi-Chun Xu for establishing the flight mill system and providing helpful suggestions in this study, and thank Dr. M. Takeda for comments that improved the quality of the manuscript. This work was funded by Beijing Higher Education Young Elite Teacher Project (YETP0740), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. 2016ZCQ07).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry College, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Qinghua East Road, Beijing, 10083, China

    Fan Yang, Youqing Luo & Juan Shi

  2. Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Rokko-dai 1-1, Nada, Kobe, 657-6583, Japan

    Fan Yang

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  1. Fan Yang
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  2. Youqing Luo
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Correspondence to Juan Shi.

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Yang, F., Luo, Y. & Shi, J. The influence of geographic population, age, and mating status on the flight activity of the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in China. Appl Entomol Zool 52, 265–270 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-016-0475-7

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