Journal of Insect Behavior (1999) 12, 517-531

Ralph E. Charlton, Ring T. Cardé and William E. Wallner (1999)
Synchronous crepuscular flight of female Asian gypsy moths: relationships of light intensity and ambient and body temperatures
Journal of Insect Behavior 12 (4), 517-531
Abstract: Female gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) of Asian heritage studied in central Siberia and Germany exhibit a highly synchronous flight at dusk, after light intensity falls to about 2 lux. This critical light intensity sets the timing of flight behaviors independent of ambient temperature. Flight follows several minutes of preflight wing fanning during which females in Germany and those from a laboratory colony (derived from Siberian stock) raised their thoracic temperatures to 32-33°C at ambient temperatures of 19-22°C. Thoracic temperature of females in free flight exceeded the air temperature (19-22°C) by approximately 11-13°C. The duration of wing fanning was strongly dependent on ambient temperature. In Germany, where ambient temperatures at dusk ranged between 21 and 25°C, females wing fanned for only 2.1 ± 0.2 (SE) min; in the much colder temperatures prevalent at dusk in Bellyk, central Siberia (11-13°C), females spent 11.2 ± 0.6 min in preflight wing fanning. The majority (<80%) of mated and even virgin females initiated flight during the evening of the day they eclosed. However, in Bellyk, a small proportion (12%) of females wing fanned for an extended time but then stopped, whereas others (8%) never wing fanned and, therefore, did not take flight. Females also were capable of flight when disturbed during the daylight hours in Germany where the maximal temperature was high (27-30°C), but not in Siberia, where temperatures peaked at only 17-19°C. However, Siberian females were able to propel themselves off the tree on which they were perched by executing several vigorous wing flicks when approached by the predaceous tettigoniid, Tettigonia caudata.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Ring T. Cardé

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lymantria dispar		Germany
	Lymantria dispar		Russia (E Asia)