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Oviposition and feeding on red pine by jack pine budworm at a previously unrecorded scale
Author(s) -
Fahrner Samuel J.,
Albers Jana S.,
Albers Michael A.,
Lanigan Todd,
Murphy Robert,
Raffa Kenneth F.,
Aukema Brian H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
agricultural and forest entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.755
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1461-9563
pISSN - 1461-9555
DOI - 10.1111/afe.12154
Subject(s) - jack pine , red pine , biology , botany , pinus <genus> , woody plant , spruce budworm , pollen , ecology , pest analysis , tortricidae
The jack pine budworm C horistoneura pinus pinus is a defoliator distributed throughout the range of jack pine P inus banksiana in N orth A merica. Jack pine budworm feeds primarily on jack pine. More than 2400 hectares of defoliation of red pine P inus resinosa were noted during an outbreak of C . pinus pinus from 2004–2008 in M innesota and W isconsin, U.S.A . Defoliation of red pine across thousands of hectares, detectable during aerial surveys, is a significant deviation from historical records. Fifty‐six study plots were established across 15 counties of M innesota and W isconsin to quantify densities and impacts of jack pine budworm in locations showing defoliation of both red pine and jack pine. Populations of jack pine budworm on red pine behaved similarly to those on jack pine, consuming pollen cones and vegetative shoots. The mean number of egg masses per branch and per site was greater on red pine than on jack pine at study sites in M innesota and W isconsin, respectively. It is not known what led to the outbreak of jack pine budworm on red pine, nor is it clear whether landscape‐scale defoliation of this magnitude represents an isolated incident or a shift in relative host use. Hypotheses regarding the mechanisms behind this alternative host use by jack pine budworm are discussed.