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NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLER - ACIDF … · NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLER by GAIL...
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NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLER by GAIL GRAVELINES A moth that transforms lush urban ash trees into sickly looking stands may soon be a pest of the past thanks to research underway at the University of Alberta. The ash leaf cone roller moth -- known to most urban dwellers as the nasty caterpillar that hangs in droves from silken threads on city trees -- doesn't kill the ash trees it infests. Its annual appearance however, provokes thousands of concerned calls to nurseries and local government offices. The moth also damages younger nursery trees. "Ash trees are a favourite urban tree used by many municipalities for their shade and aesthetic appeal," says Dr. Maya Evenden, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta,pictured left,. Now, most of Edmonton's ash trees are affected by the ash leaf cone roller moth that was first found in Edmonton in 1999. This tiny moth gets its name from the way it rolls the leaf around itself for protection during its the caterpillar stage . This inside the leaf strategy makes pesticide spraying ineffective as well as harmful to other species. Dr. Evenden, is leading research into how the chemicals the moth sends out to attract mates can be used to control its population. She's also looking at how the chemical signals an infested ash tree emits can be used to more effectively attract the tiny wasp that is the ash leaf cone roller's natural enemy earlier in the pest's life cycle. Her research is funded by both the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF) and the Landscape Alberta Nursery Trade Association (LANTA). "Using semiochemicals to control the ash leaf cone roller is part of an integrated, more environmentally friendly pest management approach that doesn't rely on spraying pesticides," says Evenden ,an insect chemical ecologist. Semiochemicals are the chemical substances organisms emit to communicate. Pheromones, sent out to attract mates at the right time in the reproductive cycle, are one such semiochemical. Dr. Evenden's research is focusing on isolating two semiochemical combinations -- the sex pheromone the female moths use to attract males and the ash tree volatiles, or signals, used by both male and female ash leaf cone rollers to find their host. The goal? To duplicate the message system and lure the moth to an attracticide laced with insecticide. Though this is a well established means of controlling pest populations, the ash leaf cone roller is presenting some challenges. "This moth has a long and complex reproductive cycle. If you were to dissect a female in September she would be packed with fat to make it through the winter. Around March or April she will fly around and mate. Then she will deposit her eggs in the ash tree leaf some time later. The challenge is to formulate the attractant and use it at exactly the right time in the reproductive cycle." Dr. Evenden and her research team use a wind tunnel and an adult ash leaf cone roller moth to gauge the attractiveness of various mixes of semiochemicals. The semiochemicals are suspended on the upwind end
Transcript of NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLER - ACIDF … · NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLER by GAIL...
NEUTRALIZING THE ASH LEAF CONE ROLLERby GAIL GRAVELINES
A moth that transforms lush urban ash trees into sicklylooking stands may soon be a pest of the past thanks toresearch underway at the University of Alberta.
The ash leaf cone roller moth -- known to most urbandwellers as the nasty caterpillar that hangs in droves fromsilken threads on city trees -- doesn't kill the ash trees itinfests. Its annual appearance however, provokes thousandsof concerned calls to nurseries and local government offices.The moth also damages younger nursery trees.
"Ash trees are a favourite urban tree used by manymunicipalities for their shade and aesthetic appeal," says Dr.Maya Evenden, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences atthe University of Alberta,pictured left,. Now, most ofEdmonton's ash trees are affected by the ash leaf cone rollermoth that was first found in Edmonton in 1999. This tinymoth gets its name from the way it rolls the leaf arounditself for protection during its the caterpillar stage . Thisinside the leaf strategy makes pesticide spraying ineffective aswell as harmful to other species.
Dr. Evenden, is leading research into how the chemicals themoth sends out to attract mates can be used to control itspopulation. She's also looking at how the chemical signals aninfested ash tree emits can be used to more effectively attractthe tiny wasp that is the ash leaf cone roller's natural enemyearlier in the pest's life cycle. Her research is funded by boththe Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF) andthe Landscape Alberta Nursery Trade Association (LANTA).
"Using semiochemicals to control the ash leaf cone roller ispart of an integrated, more environmentally friendly pestmanagement approach that doesn't rely on spraying
pesticides," says Evenden ,an insect chemical ecologist. Semiochemicals are the chemical substancesorganisms emit to communicate. Pheromones, sent out to attract mates at the right time in the reproductivecycle, are one such semiochemical.
Dr. Evenden's research is focusing on isolating two semiochemical combinations -- the sex pheromone thefemale moths use to attract males and the ash tree volatiles, or signals, used by both male and female ash leafcone rollers to find their host. The goal? To duplicate the message system and lure the moth to anattracticide laced with insecticide. Though this is a well established means of controlling pest populations,the ash leaf cone roller is presenting some challenges.
"This moth has a long and complex reproductive cycle. If you were to dissect a female in September shewould be packed with fat to make it through the winter. Around March or April she will fly around andmate. Then she will deposit her eggs in the ash tree leaf some time later. The challenge is to formulate theattractant and use it at exactly the right time in the reproductive cycle."
Dr. Evenden and her research team use a wind tunnel and an adult ash leaf cone roller moth to gauge theattractiveness of various mixes of semiochemicals. The semiochemicals are suspended on the upwind end
of the tunnel. Once the scentreaches the moth, the researcherscan tell by the moth flight patternif it is attracted or indifferent to thechemical messages.
"An attracted moth will take offand have a zigzag flight path. Onethat is not attracted will take offand simply go up or down."
To date, the research is going wellwith the female produced sexpheromone identified and sixcompounds released by the ash treeand detected by the female mothidentified. Dr. Evenden says shehopes that by 2011, the end of thetwo-year study, the research willyield an attractant that will enticethe moths dipping them into the
insecticide before they can deposit their eggs.
She's also exploring the use of ash treesemiochemicals to more efficiently attract theApanteles polychrosidis wasp, the cone roller'snatural enemy. The wasp deposits its eggs into theash leaf cone roller larvae in the leaf.
"Distressed ash trees send out semiochemicalsignals the wasp may respond to. We areconducting experiments using the wasp's antennaeto identify which semiochemicals the waspresponds to for orientation to the cone rollerlarvae," Dr. Evenden says, explaining how thesemiochemicals are wafted past the antennae andthe resulting action indicates whether or not thewasp can sense the compounds.
Whether it's the chemicals the ash leaf cone roller usesto attract a mate, or the distressed chemical signals aninfested ash tree sends out to attract the cone roller'swasp enemy, Dr. Evenden's research is on track tocreate a cone roller specific pest management methodthat minimizes environmental damage.
Caloptilia
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Photo courtesy: the City of Edmonton
Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund Ltd.
Copyright 2009�
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