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Temporal variations in abiotic conditions exert little influence on diurnal activity of late-instar spruce budworm larvae on balsam fir

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2012

S.E. Holmes ,
E.G. Kettela ,
P.C. Nigam ,
S.B. Heard  and
R.C. Johns
S.E. Holmes
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service – Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3G 5P7, Canada
E.G. Kettela
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service – Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3G 5P7, Canada
P.C. Nigam
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service – Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3G 5P7, Canada; and Research Scientist (retired), Spruce Budworm Behavior and Control, Canadian Forest Service – Atlantic Forestry Centre, New Brunswick, Canada
S.B. Heard
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
R.C. Johns*
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service – Atlantic Forestry Centre, P.O. Box 4000, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3G 5P7, Canada; and Population Ecology Group, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: rjohns@nrcan.gc.ca).
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Abstract

Spruce budworm, Choristoneurafumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), larvae can cause extensive defoliation in balsam fir (Abies balsamea [Linnaeus] Miller) and exhibit high temporal and spatial variability in individual behaviour. We gathered field data to determine the influence of daily and hourly variation in abiotic conditions on daytime activity patterns of late-instar budworm larvae on balsam fir. In both years of our study, less than 10% of larvae were observed feeding during the daytime. Most larvae observed were either resting, spinning silk, or roaming, although the proportion of individuals engaged in each activity varied between years, with more larvae in the first year roaming (48%) and in the second year either resting (38%) or spinning silk (42%). Daily and hourly variation in abiotic conditions had a limited influence on activity patterns. Our results indicate that in nature, mid- to late-instar budworm larvae maintain fairly consistent activity patterns across a wide range of abiotic conditions. We suggest that site-specific conditions such as variation in host-plant quality and/or budworm population density may be more important than weather in determining the relative frequencies of different larval activities in space and time.

Résumé

Les larves de la tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), peuvent causer une sérieuse défoliation chez le sapin baumier et font montre d'une importante variation temporelle et spatiale dans leur comportement individuel. Nous avons accumulé des données de terrain afin de déterminer l'influence de la variation journalière et horaire des conditions abiotiques sur les patrons d'activité journalière des stades avancés des tordeuses sur le sapin. Durant les deux années de notre étude, moins de 10% des larves ont été vues en train se nourrir durant la journée. La plupart des larves se reposaient, tissaient de la soie ou erraient, bien que la proportion des individus occupés à chacune de ces activités ait varié d'une année à l'autre; la première année, il y avait plus de larves à errer (48%) et la seconde année à se reposer (38%) ou à tisser de la soie (42%). La variation journalière et horaire des conditions abiotiques avait une influence limitée sur les patrons d'activité. Nos résultats indiquent qu'en nature les larves de tordeuses des stades moyens à avancés maintiennent des patrons d'activité assez constants sur une gamme étendue de conditions abiotiques. Nous croyons que les conditions spécifiques au site, telles que la variation de la qualité de la plante-hôte et(ou) la densité de la population de tordeuses, peuvent être plus importantes que les conditions climatiques pour déterminer les fréquences relatives des différentes activités larvaires dans l'espace et le temps.

Type
Original Article
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 144 , Issue 3 , 28 May 2012 , pp. 396 - 405
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2012

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