National Gypsy Moth Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

Joe Cook, Supervisory Entomologist

NE Area State and Private Forestry

Morgantown, WV

304-285-1523

jlcook@fs.fed.us

• Gypsy moths not native to the US

• Introduced to Massachusetts in 1869 - spread steadily westward

• Emergence from pupae about 4 weeks (~July)

• Males able to fly to find mates

• Males fly upwind to find scent of mates

• Scent called “sex pheromone”

Adult Egg Laying

• White female moths emerge from brown pupae and lay large hidden egg masses. Eggs laid in groups of 50-1500

• Often found on trees, house siding, firewood and under car bumpers

• Sheer number insects can be nuisance during outbreak

• Older caterpillars have distinct color markings on their backs

• Five pairs of blue dots are followed by 6 pairs of red dots

• Later stage caterpillars feed on leaves only at night

• Caterpillars crawl to the base of trees before daybreak to hide from birds

Gypsy Moth Pupa And Larval Skin

• In June caterpillars stop feeding and wander to protected place to change into pupae

• Brown pupae can be found anywhere

How Is Gypsy Moth Controlled In Nature?

Factors Related To Weather:

- Fungal disease - Entomophaga maimaiga - spreads through population during wet springs

- Spores blown in wind will germinate on caterpillars exposed to soaking rains and kill them

- Dead caterpillars covered with spores will infect nearby caterpillars

How is Gypsy Moth Controlled in Nature

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Covered By Fungal Spores

• Spores easily seen on caterpillars

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Covered by Fungal Spores

How Is Gypsy Moth Controlled In Nature?

Factors related to gypsy moth abundance:

LOW ABUNDANCE

- mice and other rodents eat them

MEDIUM ABUNDANCE

- predatory insects (ground beetles)

- parasitic wasps (Cotesia melanoscelus)

HIGH ABUNDANCE

- Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV)

How is Gypsy Moth Controlled in Nature?

V-shaped Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

• NPV has killed caterpillar and is handing in V-shaped position• V-shaped position caused from virus changing tissues and

muscles into a soup filled with infectious virus spores

V-Shaped Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

• NPV infected caterpillars rupture and splash soupy virus-filled contents on neighboring leaves

• Caterpillars eating the soup will die

• Virus spreads rapidly to new caterpillars leaving few, if any, to develop into moths

NPV Infected Caterpillar

How Gypsy Moths Defoliate

Leaves:

• Caterpillars eat everything but the leaf midrib

• 11 sq. ft. of foliage consumed

by each caterpillar

Trees:

• Caterpillars hatching from 100 egg masses will consume over 3 acres of foliage

• During pest outbreaks each tree can have more than 200 egg masses

Why is gypsy moth defoliation a problem?

• Defoliation starts in May and continues into early June- preferred trees - oaks• Caterpillars eat leaves of 500 species of trees and plants• 8 million acres of forested lands defoliated in 1990• Repeated annual defoliation may kill trees in 2-4 years

Gypsy Moth Defoliation (acres) 1991 to 2003

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003

Basal area of trees susceptible to gypsy moth

1998

2003Slow-the-Spread

Action Zones

How The Gypsy Moth Population Spreads

• Population moves from a generally infested area through a transition zone to the un-infested areas

(Natural spread - caterpillars blown

by the wind; Artificial spread – people who unknowingly

carry it into un-infested areas)

• Hot spots or locally infested areas decrease in size when moving away from generally infested areas

Suppression

Infested Transition Un-infested

Slow-the-Spread

Eradication Program

Objective: Eliminate gyspy moth infestations in uninfested area and eliminate Asiatic Gypsy moth where-ever it is found before populations are established

Mechanism: • APHIS and state programs- monitor gypsy moth introductions through trapping program• Education- Alerting citizens of signs of gypsy moth

Potential Outcome:•Coordinated Aerial Spray (Btk, diflurobenzuron, or gypchek, mating disruption) •No spray- Rate of population spread increased

Suppression Program

Objective: Minimize tree damage

Mechanism: • Local estimates of gypsy moth abundance and canopy cover guide the program • Communities / forests that meet the threshold are eligible for Federal matching $$

Potential Outcomes in Eligible Communities:•Coordinated Aerial Spray (Btk, diflurobenzuron, or gypchek) •No spray-Trees are defoliated

Slow the Spread Program

Objective: Slow the rate of GM movement to new areas

Mechanism: • Local estimates of gypsy moth abundance and canopy cover guide the program

Possible Outcomes in Targeted Areas:•Coordinated aerial spray of Bacillus thuringiensis or Pheromone flakes

Infe

sted

Zo

ne

10 moths/trap Line

Action Zone

(2 km trap grid)

≈50 km ≈120 km

Varies

(≈30 km)

For more information, visit: http://da.ento.vt.edu/

8 km trap grid

3 km trap grid

Management of Gypsy Moth: How Slow-the-Spread Works

Un

infe

sted

Zo

ne

Transition Zone

Sex Pheromone Trap

• Traps are deployed each spring to monitor gypsy moth populations

• These traps lure male moths with the scent of gypsy moth females. This scent is called a sex pheromone

Map of Trap Catch

• Trap catches are reported to monitor the spread

• Areas with greatest trap catch are probably infested

Benefits of Slow The Spread (STS)

History of Gypsy Moth Control on Military Lands

• 1986- West Point (2548 acres Btk); Letterkenny Army Depot (1450 acres Btk)

• 1987- West Point (600 acres Btk); Camp David (420 acres Btk); Picatinny Arsenal (1222 acres Dimilin)

• 1988- Fort Richie (700 acres Btk)

• 1989- Fort Belvoir (90 acres Dimilin); White Oak NWC (50 acres Btk; 250 acres dimilin)

• 1990- Aberdeen Proving Ground (8000 acres Btk); Adelphi Labs (30 acres Btk; 70 acres Dimilin); Annapolis Naval Academy (160 acres Btk); Fort Meade (1300 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (137 acres Dimilin); Quantico MCB (1772 acres Btk; 3314 acres Dimilin); Vint Hill Farm Station (185 acres Dimilin); White Oak NWC (40 acres Btk; 276 acres Dimilin)

History of Gypsy Moth Control on Military Lands • 1991- Aberdeen Proving Grounds (10,270 acres Btk); Andrews AFB

(1000 acres Btk); Fort Meade (7,554 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (1708 acres Btk; 2098 acres Dimilin); Quantico MCB (7493 acres Btk; 7004 acres Dimilin); Vint Hill Farm Station (188 acres Dimilin); Wurtsmith AFB (78 acres Btk)

• 1992- Quantico MCB (1480 acres Btk; 4082 acres Dimilin); Aberdeen Proving Grounds (3000 acres Btk); Ft Meade 1128 acres Btk); Fort Belvoir (80 acres Btk; 3355 acres Dimilin)

• 1993- Quantico MCB (926 acres Btk; 3440 acres Dimilin)

• 1994- Quantico MCB (2089 acres Btk; 2890 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (166 acres Btk)

• 1995- Quantico MCB (1394 acres Btk; 3999 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (974 acres Btk)

• 2002- West Point (650 acres Btk)

Gypsy Moth Supplemental EIS (SEIS)

• 1995 Gypsy Moth EIS, and 1996 Record of Decision (ROD)

• New SEIS will continue with Alternative 6 (eradication, suppression, and slow the spread) as the selected alternative

• Joint U.S. Forest Service and APHIS SEIS with co-leads from each agency

• Anticipate Notice of Intent to alert public and other federal agencies of new SEIS for gypsy moth in March of 2004.

• Draft SEIS (2005)

• Final SEIS and ROD (2006)

• New SEIS will update the 1995 EIS, add new tools and chemicals such as Mimic, all health and ecological risk assessments for Btk, Dimilin, NPV, Disparlure are being redone, and a new risk assessment for Mimic is being done)