Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Current Status of Biology, Ecology, and Management in Europe with Notes from North America

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2022Author
Boukouvala, Maria C.
Kavallieratos, Nickolas
Skourti, Anna
Benavent Fernandez, Enrique
Domínguez Solera, Elena
Fita, Sergio
Bohinc, Tanja
Trdan, Stanislav
Agrafioti, Paraskevi
Athanassiou, Christos G.
Suggested citation
Boukouvala, Maria C.;
Kavallieratos, Nickolas;
Skourti, Anna;
Pons i Domènech, Xavier;
López Alonso, Carmen;
Eizaguirre Altuna, Matilde;
...
Athanassiou, Christos G..
(2022)
.
Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): Current Status of Biology, Ecology, and Management in Europe with Notes from North America.
Insects, 2022, vol. 13, art. 854..
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13090854.
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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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Insects, 2022, vol. 13, art. 854.European research projects
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