Unitfxi States Department of The Nantucket Pine Tip IMoth: Agriculture Old Problems, New Research Forest Service Proceedings of an Informal Conference The Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting Southern Research Station General Technical Atlanta, Georgia Report SRS-51 December 12-I 6, 1999 Cover: Nantucket pine tip moth adult. Photo by Julie C. Weatherby. DISCLAIMER The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. PESTICIDE PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT This publication reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all herbicides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and their containers. Papers published in these proceedings were submitted by authors in electronic media. Editing was done to ensure a consistent format. Authors are responsible for content and accuracy of their individual papers. June 2002 Southern Research Station P.O. Box 2680 Asheville, NC 28802 The Nantucket Pine Tip Moth: Old Problems, New Research Proceedings of an Informal Conference The Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting December 12-I 6, 1999 Atlanta, Georgia Edited by C. Wayne Berisford, Professor Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-2603, USA Donald M. Grosman, Entomologist II Texas Forest Service Cudlipp Forestry Center P.O. Box 310 21127 South First Street Lufkin, TX 75902-0310, USA Sponsored by The University of Georgia USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station Table of Contents Page Page Preface . iv Tip Moth Parasitoids and Pesticides: Are They Compatible? . 26 Executive Summary . v Kenneth W McCravy, Mark J. Dalusky: and C. Wayne Berisford Introduction . vii The Potential for Trichogramma Releases to Impact of Pine Tip Moth Attack on Loblolly Pine . 1 Suppress Tip Moth Populations in Pine Plantations . 34 Roy Hedden David B. On, Charles P-C. Sub, Michael Philip, Kenneth W McCravy, and Gary L. DeBarr Interaction of Forest Management Practices and Tip Moth Damage . 8 Use of Pheromone Traps to Predict Infestation John T: Nowak Levels of The Nantucket Pine Tip Moth: Can It Be Done? . 45 Evaluation of Candidate Insecticides for Control of Christopher Asaro and C. Wayne Be&ford the Nantucket Pine Tip Moth (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae) 14 Mark J. Dalusky and C. Wayne Berisford Nantucket Pine Tip Moth, Rhyacionia Frustrana, Lures and Traps: What is the Optimum Combination . 56 Maximizing Pine Tip Moth Control: Timing is Gary L. DeBarr; J. Wayne Brewer, Everything . 20 R. Scott Cameron and C. Wayne Berisford Christopher J. Fettig . III PREFACE The Nantucket pine tip moth is an enigmatic insect whose participation by the Department of Entomology and the perceived importance as a pest has waxed and waned Warnell School of Forest Resources. The program was through the years. Although it rarely kills trees, attacks by directed by C. W. Berisford, Department of Entomology. In the moth kill growing shoots and can cause growth loss addition to voting members, there were several associate and poor form. The moth has been the subject of a industrial members of the Consortium who made financial considerable amount of research at times and has almost contributions and provided materials for direct tip moth been ignored during other periods. For example, there was control evaluations. Associate members included Abbott a spate of research during the late 1950’s and 1960’s Laboratories, American Cyanamid Company, Bayer when large acreages were converted from agriculture to Corporation, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Gowan Company, pine plantations. After that period, there appeared to be little Rohm & Haas Company, Valent U. S. A. Corporation and interest in the moth during the 1970’s and 80’s. However, Zeneca Ag Products. another round of conversions from agriculture to pine plantations occurred via the Federal Conservation Reserve Additional resources were provided by the Georgia Program in the 1980’s and 90’s. Also, the concomitant Traditional Industries Program in Pulp and Paper (TIP3) via development of intensive plantation management which competitive grants and the USDA Forest Service as included intensive mechanical site preparation, herbicide cooperative agreements through the Forest Health applications to control competing vegetation and Technology Enterprise Team, Morgantown, West Virginia fertilization, apparently exacerbated tip moth infestations and a Special Technology Development Project sponsored and created renewed interest in research. by Forest Health Management, Region 8, Atlanta, Georgia. Other institutions which provided resources and/or The most recent peak of interest led to the formation of the expertise were: Clemson University (Dr. Roy L. Hedden), Pine Tip Moth Research Consortium which combined The Texas Forest Service, Pest Control Section (Dr. Donald resources from several public and private institutions to Grosman), Auburn University (Dr. J. Wayne Brewer). provide funding and bring expertise to bear on the problems caused by tip moth infestations in intensively- Through the efforts of the Consortium members and their managed stands. The initial idea for the Consortium was cooperators, a body of new information regarding the developed by F. S. Broerman, Union Camp Corporation and biology and control of the tip moth was developed. In Steven A. Cade, Weyerhaeuser Company. The Pine Tip conjunction with the Entomological Society of America Moth Research Consortium had six industrial members annual meeting, an Informal Conference was held on when it was initiated in 199596 including: Champion December 13, 1999 to review some new research and to International Corporation, Georgia Pacific Corporation, provide a forum for discussions of future research. International Paper Corporation, Jefferson Smurfit Corporation, Union Camp Corporation and Weyerhaeuser We sincerely appreciate the help and advice of Mr. Jimmy Company. The USDA Forest Service was also a member Seckinger, International Paper Corporation on various field via the Forestry Sciences Lab, Research Work Unit No. projects. We are grateful to Dr. Kerry Britton, USDA Forest 4505 based in Athens, Georgia. The Consortium was Service, Southern Research Station for sponsoring administered through the University of Georgia with publication of these proceedings. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Nantucket pine tip moth has become a more prevalent Studies of interactions among tip moth parasitoids, pest as the intensity of pine plantation management has herbicides and insecticides showed that overall parasitism increased. Because some forest product producers feel was not affected by herbicidal control of competing that growth losses due to tip moth attacks may be vegetation although the relative contribution of some unacceptable, the Pine Tip Moth Research Consortium parasitoids was changed. Parasitism was reduced by was formed to increase basic knowledge about the moth certain broad spectrum insecticides but not all of the and to explore ways to reduce tip moth damage. A parasitoids were affected equally with some species conference was held in 1999 to highlight some research apparently unaffected while others were virtually eliminated. supported by the consortium and other institutions. It appears that pesticides for tip moth control and Research has been conducted on damage assessment parasitoids can be compatible if insecticides are selected (impact), interactions of the moth with different forest to minimize impact on these natural enemies. management practices, effects of herbicide and insecticide use on tip moth parasitoids, evaluations of insecticides for Experimental releases of the native tip moth egg parasite tip moth control, optimizing chemical control through more Trichogramma exiguum showed that there may be some precise timing, potential for augmenting tip moth egg potential for augmentative releases of lab-reared parasites. parasites, pheromone traps to predict tip moth infestation Impact evaluations showed that the egg parasites reduced density and tests of different pheromone trap designs and larval populations by 60 percent. Although the percentage lures. of tip moth-infested shoots was not different from those in untreated check plots, the amount of damage to infested Models were developed to relate tree growth to tip moth shoots was significantly reduced due to fewer larvae per infestation levels. Tip moth attacks were found to have their shoot. Trichogramma survival was higher in areas in which greatest effect on tree height growth during the early some vegetation had been retained between rows of generations in each growing season in the first three years planted pines. following stand establishment. Traps baited with synthetic pheromone lures have been Tip moth infestation levels increased as management used to monitor tip moth activity and to help with timing of intensity increased, particularly in regard to control of control attempts. In the past, it was assumed that trap competing vegetation. Tip moth populations appeared to catches of male tip moths did not relate to populations