Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T05:05:11.741Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta: A victim of the Pied Piper or a seasonal migrant?*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Jeremy N. McNeil
Jeremy N. McNeil
Affiliation:
Département de biologie, Université Laval, STE. FOY, P.Q., Canada, G1K 7P4
Get access

Abstract

Each summer the true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.), like many other noctuid species, establishes temporary populations in habitats considerably north of areas where permanent populations persist. Data are presented in support of the hypothesis that P. unipuncta is a seasonal migrant and not a victim of an agricultural “Pied Piper” phenomenon. It is proposed that the spring northward migration occurs to avoid the deleterious effects of summer temperatures and the southward fall one to escape severe winter conditions. It is also argued that both spring and fall migrations are initiated by similar short-day, low temperature conditions, which serve as predictable environmental cues for an impending habitat deterioration.

Résumé

Chaque été en Amérique du Nord, la légionnaire uniponctuée, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.), comme plusieurs autres espèces de noctuelles, établit des populations temporaires dans des habitats situés beaucoup plus au nord par rapport aux régions où les populations persistent pendant toute l'année. Les données présentées appuient l'hypothèse voulant que P. unipuncta soit un vrai migrant et non une victime des pratiques agricoles. De plus, il est proposé que les adultes qui migrent vers le nord au printemps évitent ainsi les effets néfastes des hautes températures qui sévissent dans le sud pendant l'été. Par ailleurs, en automne la migration de retour vers le sud serait une façon d'éviter les conditions hivernales du nord. Enfin, l'auteur propose que les conditions de courte journée et de basse température, qui prévalent pendant le printemps et l'automne serviraient à annoncer la détérioration de l'habitat et l'initiation des migrations.

Keywords

Pseudaletia unipunctatrue armywormseasonal migrantcalling behaviourseasonal trap catchesPseudaletia unipunctalégionnaire uniponctuéemigrant saisonnaircomportement d'appelcapture des adultes
Type
Symposium IV: Migration and Dispersal of Tropical Noctuid Moths
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 8 , Issue 4-5-6: Recent Advances in Research on Tropical Entomology , December 1987 , pp. 591 - 597
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ayre, G. L. (1985) Cold tolerance of Pseudaletia unipuncta and Peridroma saucia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Can. Ent. 117, 1055–1060.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, R. R. (1984) The dilemma: Where and how to go and stay. In The Biology of Butterflies. (Edited by Vane-Wright, R. I. and Ackery, P. R.), pp. 279–296. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Beck, S. D. (1980) Insect Photoperiodism. 2nd Edition. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Beirne, B. P. (1971) Pest insects of annual crops in Canada. I. Lepidoptera. II. Diptera. III. Coleoptera. Mem. ent. soc. Can. No. 78.Google Scholar
Common, I. F. B. (1954) The study of the ecology of the adult bogong moth, Agrostis infusa (Boesd.) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae), with special reference to its behaviour during migration and aestivation. Aust. J. Zool. 2, 223–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delisle, J. and McNeil, J. N. (1986) The effect of photoperiod on the calling behaviour of virgin females of the true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). J. Insect Physiol. 32, 199–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delisle, J. and McNeil, J. N. (1987) The combined effect of photoperiod and temperature on the calling behaviour of the true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta. Physiol. Ent. 12, 157–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drake, V. A. (1985) Radar observations of moths migrating in a nocturnal low-level jet. Ecol. Ent. 10, 259–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fields, P. G. and McNeil, J. N. (1984) The overwintering potential of the true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae), populations in Quebec. Can. Ent. 116, 1647–1652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gatehouse, A. G. and Hackett, D. S. (1980) A technique for studying flight behaviour of tethered Spodoptera exempta moths. Physiol. Ent. 5, 215–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenbank, D. O., Schaefer, G. W. and Rainey, R. C. (1980) Spruce budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) moth flight and dispersal: New understanding from canopy observations, radar and aircraft. Mem. Ent. Soc. Can. No. 110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guppy, J. C. (1961) Life history and behaviour of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in eastern Ontario. Can. Ent. 93, 1141–1153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guppy, J. C. (1969) Some effects of temperature on the immature stages of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), under controlled conditions. Can. Ent. 101, 1320–1327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C. G. (1969) Migration and Dispersal of Insects by Flight. Methuen, London.Google Scholar
Johnson, S. J. and Mason, L. J. (1986) The Noctuidae: A case history. In The Movement and Dispersal of Agriculturally Important Biotic Agents. (Edited by MacKenzie, D. R., Barfield, C. S., Kennedy, G. G. and Berger, R. D.), pp. 421–433. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge.Google Scholar
Kendall, D. M. (1981) Bionomics of Euxoa auxiliaris Grote (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Rocky Mountains and comparison with two resident species of alpine moth. M. Sc. Thesis, University of Colorado.Google Scholar
Lewis, T. and Taylor, R. L. (1964) Diurnal periodicity of flight by insects. Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. Land. 116, 393–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKenzie, D. R., Barfield, C. S., Kennedy, G. G., Berger, R. D. and Taranto, D. J., Eds (1986) The Movement and Dispersal of Agriculturally Important Biotic Agents. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge.Google Scholar
McNeil, J. N. (1986a) The true armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.): A possible migrant species. In The Movement and Dispersal of Agriculturally Important Biotic Agents. (Edited by MacKenzie, D. R., Barfield, C. S., Kennedy, G. G., Berger, R. D. and Taranto, D. J.), pp. 435–441. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge.Google Scholar
McNeil, J. N. (1986b) Calling behaviour: Can it be used to identify migratory species of moth? Fla. Ent. 69, 79–84.Google Scholar
Muller, R. A. (1986) The potential for the atmospheric transport of moths from the perspective of synoptic climatology. In The Movement and Dispersal of Agriculturally Important Biotic Agents. (Edited by MacKenzie, D. R., Barfield, C. S., Kennedy, G. G., Berger, R. D. and Taranto, D. J.), pp. 179–202. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge.Google Scholar
Pruess, K. P. (1967) Migration of the armyworm cutworm, Chorizogrotis auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). I. Evidence of a migration. Ann. ent. soc. Am. 60, 910–920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rabb, R. L. and Kennedy, G. G., Eds (1979) Movement of Highly Mobile Insects: Concepts and Methodology in Research. North Carolina State University, Raleigh.Google Scholar
Rabb, R. L. and Stinner, R. E. (1978) The role of insect dispersal in population processes. In Radar, Insect Population Ecology and Pest Management. (Edited by Vaughn, C. R., Wolf, W. and Klassen, W.), pp. 3–16. NASA Conf. Publ. No. 2070, NASA Wallops Flight Center, Wallops Island.Google Scholar
Rose, A. H., Silversides, R. H. and Lindquist, O. H. (1975) Migration flight by an aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and a noctuid, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Can. Ent. 107, 567–576.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, D. J. W., Page, W. W., Dewhurst, C. F., Riley, J. R., Reynolds, D. R., Pedgley, D. E. and Tucker, M. R. (1985) Downwind migration of the African armyworm moth, Spodoptera exempta, studied by mark-and-capture and by radar. Ecol. Ent. 10, 299–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steck, W. F., Underhill, E. W., Bailey, B. K. and Chisholm, M. D. (1983) A 4-component sex attractant for male moths of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ent. expt. appl. 32, 302–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, P. A. and Lam, J. J. (1968) Catch of insects at different heights in traps equipped with blacklight lamps. J. Econ. Ent. 61, 1227–1230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, P. A. and Lam, J. J. (1969) Hourly and seasonal collections of six harmful insects in traps equipped with blacklight lamps. J. Econ. Ent. 62, 100–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stinner, R. E., Barfield, C. S., Stimac, J. L. and Dohse, L. (1983) Dispersal and movement of insect pests. A. Rev. Ent. 28, 319–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, R. L. (1958) Aphid dispersal and diurnal periodicity. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 169, 67–73.Google Scholar
Turgeon, J. J. and McNeil, J. N. (1983) Modification in the calling behaviour of Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), induced by temperature conditions during pupal and adult development. Can. Ent. 115, 1015–1022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, T. J. (1980) Migrating Lepidoptera: Are butterflies better than moths? Fla. Ent. 63, 79–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar