engleski

FLIGHT PROPENSITY AND PERFORMANCE OF INVASIVE BOX TREE MOTH

Box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an invasive moth originating from East Asia and present in Croatia since 2012. Its natural dispersal velocity of up to10 km per year is of particular concern. Understanding flight characteristics of insect pests is essential for designing effective strategies and programs for their management. The aim of this research was to use a flight mill to test flight propensity, performance and flight patterns of the box tree moth. The flight-testing mill consisted of a flight mill, a testing chamber and a data logging and processing unit. Flight characteristics such as duration and number of flights as well as velocity and distance of individual flights were monitored by four flight mill chambers in a C. perspectalis population under naturally occurring conditions. In 24-hour experiments, C. perspectalis flew a maximum distance of 15.6 km (virgin females) and spent a maximum time in flight of 241 minutes (4 hours). The average speed of C. perspectalis ranged from 1.1 m/s (the slowest flying/virgin females) to 1.6 m/s (laboratory males). The performed flight- testing systems proved to be efficacious and useful tools in unveiling essential flight characteristics of invasive flying insects. Flight mills contribute to the understanding of physiological traits and provide important insights into migratory activities ; this is of particular importance for the highly invasive C. perspectalis.

flight mill ; flight characteristics ; physiological traits ; Cydalima perspectalis

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