Insects (2022) 13 (9 - 854)

Maria C. Boukouvala, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Anna Skourti, Xavier Pons, Carmen López Alonso, Matilde Eizaguirre, Enrique Benavent Fernandez, Elena Domínguez Solera, Sergio Fita, Tanja Bohinc, Stanislav Trdan, Paraskevi Agrafioti and Christos G. Athanassiou (2022)
Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Current status of biology, ecology, and management in Europe with notes from North America
Insects 13 (9 - 854)
Abstract: The European Spongy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is an abundant species found in oak woods in Central and Southern Europe, the Near East, and North Africa and is an important economic pest. It is a voracious eater and can completely defoliate entire trees; repeated severe defoliation can add to other stresses, such as weather extremes or human activities. Lymantria dispar is most destructive in its larval stage (caterpillars), stripping away foliage from a broad variety of trees (>500 species). Caterpillar infestation is an underestimated problem; medical literature reports that established populations of caterpillars may cause health problems to people and animals. Inflammatory reactions may occur in most individuals after exposure to setae, independent of previous exposure. Currently, chemical and mechanical methods, natural predators, and silvicultural practices are included for the control of this species. Various insecticides have been used for its control, often through aerial sprayings, which negatively affect biodiversity, frequently fail, and are inappropriate for urban/recreational areas. However, bioinsecticides based on various microorganisms (e.g., entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi) as well as technologies such as mating disruption using sex pheromone traps have replaced insecticides for the management of L. dispar.
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Database assignments for author(s): Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Xavier Pons, Tanja Bohinc, Stanislav Trdan

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
review

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lymantria dispar	Apple (Malus)
	Lymantria dispar	Lime tree/linden (Tilia)
	Lymantria dispar	Maple (Acer)
	Lymantria dispar	Poplar/aspen (Populus)
	Lymantria dispar	Sorbus (crop)
	Lymantria dispar	Liquidambar (genus)