National Gypsy Moth Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Joe Cook, Supervisory Entomologist NE Area State and Private Forestry Morgantown, WV

Gypsy moths not native to the US Introduced to Massachusetts in spread steadily westward Gypsy Moth History

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 Female (White) and Male (Brown) Moth

Adult Egg Laying White female moths emerge from brown pupae and lay large hidden egg masses. Eggs laid in groups of Often found on trees, house siding, firewood and under car bumpers Sheer number insects can be nuisance during outbreak Adult Egg Laying

Older caterpillars have distinct color markings on their backs Five pairs of blue dots are followed by 6 pairs of red dots Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

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 Gypsy Moth Pupa And Larval Skin

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 How Gypsy Moths Defoliate

Why is gypsy moth defoliation a problem? Defoliation starts in May and continues into early June- p referred 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 When are forests defoliated?

Gypsy Moth Defoliation (acres) 1991 to 2003

Basal area of trees susceptible to gypsy moth

Slow-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 How The Gypsy Moth Population Spreads 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 Suppression Program

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 Slow the Spread Program

Infested Zone 10 moths/trap Line Action Zone (2 km trap grid) ≈50 km≈120 km Varies (≈30 km) For more information, visit: 8 km trap grid 3 km trap grid Management of Gypsy Moth: How Slow-the- Spread Works Uninfested Zone 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 Sex Pheromone Trap

Map of Trap Catch Trap catches are reported to monitor the spread Areas with greatest trap catch are probably infested Map of 2001 Trap Catch

Benefits of Slow The Spread (STS)

History of Gypsy Moth Control on Military Lands West Point (2548 acres Btk); Letterkenny Army Depot (1450 acres Btk) West Point (600 acres Btk); Camp David (420 acres Btk); Picatinny Arsenal (1222 acres Dimilin) Fort Richie (700 acres Btk) Fort Belvoir (90 acres Dimilin); White Oak NWC (50 acres Btk; 250 acres dimilin) 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 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) 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) Quantico MCB (926 acres Btk; 3440 acres Dimilin) Quantico MCB (2089 acres Btk; 2890 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (166 acres Btk) Quantico MCB (1394 acres Btk; 3999 acres Dimilin); Indianhead NWC (974 acres Btk) 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 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)