Biological control of oak processionary moth
Abstract
Larvae of the oak processionary moth, Thaumetopoea processionea, have become an problem for people since the late 1990s due to increased occurrence in oak forests as well as parks and shade trees near or within towns. More important than their feeding damage on the oaks is the health hazard for people when they come in contact with the poisonous hairs of the caterpillars. Our project investigates two potential options for bio-control of this pest insect. Main goal is to isolate insect pathogenic microsporidia from the processionary moth in a screening; potential candidates for bio-control applications will be identified. The pathology of the infection will be described; the pathogen will be characterized. Disease transmission in the pest population will be studied experimentally to gain basic knowledge to develop a strategy for application. Laboratory tests will explore the best methods for production of microsporidia – also by using alternative host insects. The work will provide the basis for further tests with a microsporidian pathogen for bio-control of T. processionea. Goal of the second part of the project is to test the sensitivity of larvae against various strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in simple in vitro analyses. This will help to identify the Bt strain that is most promising to combine high efficacy against the oak processionary moth with minimum effects on non-target insects.
keywords oak processionary moth biological control microsporidia Thaumetopoea processionea Bacillus thuringiensis
Publikationen
Möglichkeiten der biologischen Bekämpfung des Eichenprozessionsspinners
Autoren: Hoch, G., Schopf, A. Jahr: 2005
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Microsporidian pathogens of the oak processionary moth,Thaumetopoea processionea (L.) (Lep., Thaumetopoeidae), in eastern Austria’s oak forests
Autoren: Hoch, G; Verucchi, S; Schopf, A Jahr: 2008
Journal articles
Project staff
Axel Schopf
Univ.-Prof. i.R. Dr.phil. Axel Schopf
axel.schopf@boku.ac.at
Project Leader
13.07.2004 - 31.12.2005