Oak Processionary Moth

[RobArb]

as the moth is from southern europe is there not a natural predator there that can be introduced here to help eradicate the pest?

 

would the introduction of an outside species be ecological viable and would they even survive here?

 

would they then cause a problem themselves once (if it worked) the OPM outbreak was under control or eradicated?

 

ehem:blush:

[Sam Thompson]

Now. To play the fool.

 

 

What are they?

What do they do?

Why can't I stamp on them?

 

 

Sorry to be a pain. Just have never been taught/had it explained to me, and haven't come across any.

 

 

Sam

[sean]

Now. To play the fool.

 

 

What are they?

What do they do?

Why can't I stamp on them?

 

 

Sorry to be a pain. Just have never been taught/had it explained to me, and haven't come across any.

 

 

Sam

 

This will tell you lots about them mate.

LTOA-OPM-Guidance-note.pdf

[Sam Thompson]

This will tell you lots about them mate.

 

Reckon I can get that done before bed. Cheers memsahib

Edited August 1, 2011 by Steve Bullman

[Heston]

is there any natural predators to OPM?

 

quoted in "OPM article from Hort Week online" :

 

As a European pest, the moth does have natural parasites. "With enough, they will stabilise the problem, but won't eliminate it," says Kuppen, adding that a beetle, the forest caterpillar hunter (Calosoma sycophanta) "is coming back to the Netherlands" in the moth's wake, along with parasitic larvae of tachinid flies. "Bats and birds will eat the caterpillars until L3 (a stage of the pest's life cycle, see box above). After that, they throw up."

 

and googlebooks found an old description :

 

Entomology: Beetles - Google Books

 

and also a preview of a book

 

The great gypsy moth war: the history of the first campaign in Massachusetts

 

The great gypsy moth war: the ... - Google Books

 

which includes an account of them importing Calosoma into the USA to attack gypsy moth around 1905.

 

Interestingly, in view of the account from Holland that the rapid spread of OPM may be linked to caterpillars falling off trees onto trucks in laybys and then being speeded up around the country on motorways, I was intrigued that in Massachusetts they insisted that horse drawn wagons were sheeted over with canvas and they had gangs of guys at checkpoints to sweep the canvas clear of caterpillars before the wagon went over the boundary. Any volunteers to man all the intersections off the M25 ?

Edited August 1, 2011 by Steve Bullman

[RobArb]

Yup, thanks for the info heston.

Edited August 1, 2011 by Steve Bullman

[Heston]

I've been pleasnatly surprised that OPM hasn't spread to the 27 acre natural oak woodland at Perivale Wood owned by the Selborne Society - which is a mere ?1000m from the major infestation sites around Park Royal station.

 

Untitled Document

 

One of their people expressed confidence that the moths wouldn't get a look in with the density of birdlife in the wood............ (here's hoping)

Edited August 1, 2011 by Steve Bullman

[Fungus]

I've been pleasnatly surprised that OPM hasn't spread to the 27 acre natural oak woodland at Perivale Wood owned by the Selborne Society - which is a mere ?1000m from the major infestation sites around Park Royal station. One of their people expressed confidence that the moths wouldn't get a look in with the density of birdlife in the wood.

 

Heston,

Even though OPM is widespread over the entire country with the exception of the Wadden islands, in The Netherlands (and Western Germany), OPM has been confined to solitary oaks and/or oaks in lanes or along roadsides with poorly developed tree species specific ecosystems and soil food webs with a lack of tree species specific symbiotic ectomycorrhizal macrofungi caused by ammonia deposition and air and water polution, which makes the trees less capable of defending their leaves against OPM and other insects because of incomplete assimilation (lowered levels of acid and tannine production) in the base of the trunk.

This far, natural oak woodlands with intact tree species specific ecosystems have hardly been affected to not affected at all.

[David Goss]

is this the same moth that is affecting the pines in Italy? if so why the difference in tree species?

Google Image Result for http://www.webalice.it/mondellix/images/Processionaria.JPG

[Fungus]

is this the same moth that is affecting the pines in Italy? if so why the difference in tree species?

 

David,

No, that's a different species of processionary moth : Thaumetopoea pityocampa.