In Northeast China
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ACTA ECOLOGICA SINICA Volume 28, Issue 4, April 2008 Online English edition of the Chinese language journal Cite this article as: Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2008, 28(4), 1521í1535. RESEARCH PAPER Source area of spring population of meadow moth, Loxostege sticticalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in Northeast China Chen Xiao1, Zhai Baoping1,*, Gong Ruijie2, Yin Minghao3, Zhang You4, Zhao Kuijun5 1 Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Plant Diseases and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China 2 Plant Protection Station of Chifeng, Chifeng 024001, China 3 Plant Protection Station of Xinganmeng, Wulanhaote 137400, China 4 Plant Protection Station of Hulunbeier, Hailaer 021000, China 5 College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China Abstract: The meadow moth, Loxostege sticticalis L., is an important outbreak pest in Northeast China. The spring population in Northeast China was considered as immigrants from North China; however, the population dynamics during 1996–2007 was not consistent with this traditional theory. In this study, the source area of the spring population of the meadow moth in Northeast China was identified by trajectory analysis using the wind field simulated by mesoscale numerical forecast model MM5. The results indi- cated that the population of the meadow moth in North China was able to migrate into Northeast China, but had not made a crucial contribution to the outbreaks there since the weather systems were generally adverse for such a long range migration in most of the years. On the other hand, high density cocoons of L. sticticalis have frequently been found in autumn in Northeast China since 1996. The trajectory analyses indicated that most of L. sticticalis in Northeast China in spring emerged from the cocoons that had over- wintered either locally or in neighboring countries, i.e. Mongolia and Russia. The development of overwintering areas at higher lati- tudes coincides with the increased frequency of second-generation larvae; both phenomena might be attributed to the regional cli- mate change associated with global warming. Key Words: Loxostege sticticalis; migration; outbreak population; trajectory analysis The meadow moth, Loxostege sticticalis L. (Lepidoptera: (Mongolia), into Northeast China. However, the population Pyralidae), is an important outbreak pest in Northern China, dynamics in the recent outbreak periods (since 1995) present causing serious damage to the crops and forage such as soy- abnormal features. For example, in some years, the peaks of bean, sugar beet, alfalfa and sunflower, and leading to severe the spring population in Northeast China occurred 10 days losses. Northeast China is the outbreak area of L. sticticalis, earlier than those in North China, or most of the females in the and Songnen Plain is the most serious agricultural region in- peaks were still in the 1st grade (immature stage). It is obvious fested by L. sticticalis. that the immigrants were not from the “permanent breeding According to the studies in 1980s, the meadow moth sel- area”. The source of the meadow moth is unclear. On the other dom overwintered in Northeast China, and most of them ap- hand, the overwintering areas of L. sticticalis frequently peared in spring were from other areas[1–3]. There is a “perma- emerged in Northeast China in recent years, which is contra- nent breeding area” in North China, covering Wulanchabu of dictory to the traditional theory[5–8]. Inner Mongolia, the northern area of Shanxi and Zhangjiakou Therefore, it is necessary to further study where the spring of Hebei[4]. The adults from this area make a long-range mi- population of L. sticticalis in Northeast China came from and gration by two ways, within the border of China or outside how the local overwintering cocoons influenced the emer- Received date: January 23, 2007; Accepted date: December 12, 2007 *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2008, Ecological Society of China. Published by Elsevier BV. All rights reserved. CHEN Xiao et al. / Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2008, 28(4):1521–1535 gence of L. sticticalis in the next spring. Confirming the point every 20 min, saved the point coordinate in text format, source of L. sticticalis in Northeast China is not only basic to and displayed the results on the platform of the geographical explore the occurrence regularity, but also meaningful to im- information system (ArcGIS). prove the long-term forecast ability and secure the agricultural The cases of emigration and immigration were analyzed production. The objective of this study is to investigate the forward and backward, respectively, to study the relationship main source area of the spring population of the meadow moth of population in different areas and track back to the source in Northeast China during the 3rd outbreak period since 1949. area. The following are the main parameters: Flying height. Radar observations of L. sticticalis by the 1 Materials and methods Institute of Plant Protection, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences showed that the adults migrated at an altitude below 1.1 Data source 400 m above the emerging area where the elevation was around Insect data. Insect monitoring data, including the number 1670 m. The airborne adults of L. sticticalis were mainly con- of light trap catches and the number of moths in 100 steps in centrated at the altitude of 200–650 m above the ground when the field, were collected from Plant Protection Stations in they migrated into the plain areas of lower elevation to de- North China. scend in Northeast China[10]. In the model under study, the Meteorological data. The data used in the model included V NNRP reanalysis data (horizontal resolution 2.5º×2.5º, col- coordinate system with value 0.945 (sig945) was used, which lected every 6 h) from the National Center for Environmental was about 400 m above the ground, corresponding to the fly- Prediction/the National Center for Atmospheric Research ing height of L. sticticalis. Thus, the wind field on the level (NCEP/NCAR) and Global Final (FNL) analysis data (hori- sig945 was used for trajectory analysis. zontal resolution 1.0º×1.0º, collected every 6 h) from NCEP. Orientation and flying speed. Radar observations in The observation data were regular sounding data collected Yingxian of Shanxi Province by the Institute of Plant Protec- every 12 h and surface observation data sent out by the Na- tion, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences showed that the tional Meteorological Bureau of China (received by the Satel- flying direction of L. sticticalis was almost consistent with the [11] lite Data Receiver and the Analysis System PCVSATTM in our wind direction . Radar observations in Langfang of Hebei lab) every 3 h. The sounding data at Zhangjiakou Station and Province by the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Acad- the surface temperature data every 10 d at Hailaer Station emy of Agricultural Sciences showed that L. sticticalis had [12] were obtained from the National Meteorological Information migration preference toward the northeast in spring . Con- Centre of China. sidering the weak flying ability of L. sticticalis, the action of Map. The China map with administrative division at prov- orientation had faint effects on the displacement when the ince level (1:4000000) was downloaded from the National wind was strong, and the strong wind was necessary for a long Fundamental Geographic Information System of China (http:// range of migration. Therefore, the orientation of L. sticticalis nfgis.nsdi.gov.cn). was ignored in the program, and the sum of wind speed and 1.2 Trajectory analysis and key parameters air speed was used as the real speed. Based on the test of the The mesoscale non-hydrostatic meteorological numerical flying ability, the average flying speed of L. sticticalis within [13] model (MM5, non-hydrostatic version 3.7) developed by 12 h is 2.5–4.6 km/h . The middle value 1.0 m/s was used in Pennsylvania State University and NCAR was employed in this study. the present study to simulate the atmospheric dynamic field Time parameters for taking off and landing. L. sticticalis during the migration of L. sticticalis. The FNL (or NNRP) migrates at night, and the time points for taking-off and land- [11,12] data as the background incorporated with the regular sounding ing are around the sunset and sunrise, respectively . In the data and the surface observation data for re-analysis, and program, the trajectory was calculated based on the dynamic formed the initial field and lateral boundary conditions of the treatment of the time points for taking-off and landing, which coarse mesh. The start point was 20:00 every day, the forecast were determined by the definite time of the sunset and sunrise length was 24 h and the time-step for the fine mesh was 180 s. of the place where the trace point was located. The time points Four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) was performed to of the sunset and sunrise were calculated following the [14] the coarse mesh during the whole simulation process for ac- method of Zhai et al . curacy. The result was output every 1 h. After the model was Length of trajectory analysis. The length of trajectory run, the horizontal wind field was extracted to calculate the analysis was 3 nights except for extra explanation. If the tra- trajectory. jectory passed an outbreak area of L. sticticalis adults, then According to the flying parameters of L. sticticalis, the tra- another trajectory analysis was made according to the popula- jectory analysis program was compiled with the method ap- tion dynamics at the same location. plied in the numerical weather broadcast by calculating the 1.3 Definition and division of migration peaks trajectory of particles in the air[9]. The procedure exported one Because L.