LEPIDOPTERA OF HAZEL PLANTS IN POLAND (PART I). OCCURENCE, SPECIES, COMPOSITION AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Magdalena Gantner

ABSTRACT

Species composition and the quantitative structure of Lepidoptera species inhibiting the shrubs of hazel were studied in three localities: on pesticide protected and unprotected plantations and on wild hazel growing in the forest. In order to classify collected species of Lepidoptera, five domination classes, indexes of species composition similarity and species variety were used. In the sampled material, 786 individuals were identified to 38 species, 29 genera and 5 orders. Archips rosanus, Pandemis heparana, A. xylosteanus, Operophtera brumata, Scotopterys luridata, Orthosia cerasi, O. cruda and Cosmia trapezina were dominating species on hazel. In all the examined sites, A. rosanus clearly dominated and its caterpillars damaged not only the leaf buds and leaves but also the female inflorescence and young nut sets. The damages caused by Lepidoptera caterpillars on hazel growing in Poland have no economic s

Key words: cultivated and common hazel, Lepidoptera species, Archips rosanus, domination classes..

INTRODUCTION

Lepidoptera species belong to the polyphagous fauna commonly occurring in fruit plants cultivation, where they constitute a threat to a lot of tree and shrub species. In Polish literature the greatest number of publications are devoted to caterpillars feeding on apple trees, plum trees and currant shrubs [7, 8, 15, 18]. However, there are no reports on the occurrence of these pests on hazel, except for scarce foreign publications, which are of cross-section and ecological character [4, 14, 20]. The purpose of the present studies was to compare the species composition and the quantitative structure of Lepidoptera populations inhabiting the shrubs of cultivated and common hazel depending on habitat conditions and the intensity of treatments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The studies were conducted in the years 1994-1996 in three sites situated in the close vicinity of Lublin. The first was a plantation of hazel protected with pesticides according to the recommendations prepared by the Institute of Plant Protection in Poznań (tab. 1). The second object was a plantation of unprotected hazel (the last protective chemical treatments there, were carried out in 1990). The third object was made up of forest hazel shrubs growing in mixed dry-ground forest. In each of these objects, 25 shrubs were selected where the visible larvae that could be reached by hand were collected.

Observations were carried out from April till October, with 10-days’ intervals. In order to obtain adult individuals, a rearing of larvae was kept in an insectarium on the grounds of the Department of Entomology. Those specimens were identified to a species and they were analyzed according to the List of the Animals of Poland [17]. Five domination classes were distinguished on the basis of the numbers in Lepidoptera groups, namely: eudominants, dominants, subdominants, recedents and subrecedents. Besides, indexes of species composition similarity were calculated in the three investigated environments according to the formula of Marczewski-Steinhaus (MS). Species variety was characterized on the basis of the calculated values of the index of Shannon (H’) [5, 6].

RESULTS

During three vegetation seasons, 1006 larvae of Lepidoptera feeding on hazel leaves were collected, including 156 on the protected plantation, 469 on the unprotected one and 381 in the forest (tab. 2). In the course of the studies, a certain quantity of caterpillars died at the instars of larva or pupa, which made it impossible to determine them. In the whole material, 786 individuals were identified to 38 species, 29 genera and 5 orders (tab. 3).

The habitat conditions determined the species composition and the number of Lepidoptera species. Four families were the most numerous, namely: Tortricidae (from 5 to 10 species), Geometridae (from 1 to 9 species) and Noctuidae (from 4 to 8 species). The species of the other two families (Papilionidae and Lasiocampidae) were represented only in singular numbers.

On the pesticide-protected plantation, Tortricidae, which constituted 73% of all identified species on average, prevailed during the three vegetation seasons; 17% belonged to Noctuidae, 6% to Lymantidrae, and only 3% to Geometridae. Totally, the presence of 13 species of Lepidoptera larvae was found out, and their numbers in particular years of studies remained at nearly the same level.

On the unprotected plantation, in the first year, the larvae of Geometridae clearly dominated, while in the following two years their number gradually decreased. In 1995 the numbers of Geometridae and Tortricidae were almost at the same level, while in the last years of studies the greatest number of Tortricidae was collected (61%). Both the larvae belonging to Noctuidae and Lymantridae were represented by a small number of specimens. Totally, 29 species of Lepidoptera were identified.

In the forest, in the first year of studies, like on the unprotected plantation, the larvae of the Geometridae family dominated. In the following two years of studies, the caterpillars of Tortricidae, Geometridae and Noctuidae occurred in similar quantities. Only Lymantridae fed in the smallest numbers, which fact is indicated by the small number of the collected individuals (from 4 to 7). Totally, 27 Lepidoptera species occurred on the shrubs of common hazel.

The examined habitats also differed in regard to the domination structure. The only eudominant on the protected hazel was clearly Archips rosanus, whose value of the domination index exceeded the lower limited established for this class. The dominants included Pandemis heparana, and the subdominants included Cosmia trapezina. On the extensively cultivated plantation, the class of eudominants was composed of Archips rosanus and Operophtera brumata. No species was included within the dominants, and the subdominant was Archips xylosteanus. In the forest, no species reached the value of the domination index higher than 20%. The class of dominants was made up of three species, namely Archips rosanus, Scotopteryx luridata and Orthosia cerasi. The subdominants included A. xylosteanus and O. cruda, like on the unprotected plantation.

The larvae of Lepidoptera occurred on hazel shrubs throughout the whole period of growing season, but their greatest number, as many as 77%, fed in the spring. The feeding of caterpillars from the family of Tortricidae – Archips rosanus, A. podanus and Pandemis heparana – was observed the earliest, followed by and the larvae of Lymantridae family – Euproctis chrysorrchoea as well as from the family of Noctuidae – Orthosia brumata and Erannis defoliaria. The Geometridae – Abraxas grossulariata, Ennomos autumnaria, E. erosaria and Scopteryx luridata – mainly fed during the summer. On the other hand, the larvae of Scoptopteryx luridata and Plagodis pulveraria of Geometridae, Calliteara pudibunda of Lymantridae and Acronicta psi of Noctuidae fed in September. Almost 98% of the collected species are trophic Lepidoptera species connected with trees and shrubs. Only one species from the family of Noctuidae, namely Mythimna L-album (L.), belonged to the species characteristic of the communities of meadow vegetation. A single caterpillar was collected from a hazel shrub that was not protected, and it probably found itself there only accidentally. All the collected specimens were typically polyphagous ones.

The index of species similarity (MS) of the Lepidoptera larvae occurring on the protected plantation and in the forest was of the lowest value (MS = 29%). The highest species similarity was characteristic the Lepidoptera population of the forest habitat and the unprotected plantation (MS = 47%). The natural ecosystem showed the best structure organization considering the species biodiversity (H’ = 4.1%). The unprotected plantation occupied the intermediate place (H’ = 3.7%), while the protected plantation had the poorest entomofauna (H = 2.5%) (fig. 1).

DISCUSSION

Presented here in results for the first time showed that out of 38 species of Lepidoptera found on hazel in eastern Poland, 11 species belonged to the family of Tortricidae, 10 to Geometridae, 6 to Lymantridae and 9 species belonged to the family of Noctuidae. One species was found on Lasiocampidae and one on Papilionoidae. The dominating species on hazel were Archips rosanus, Pandemis heparana, A. xylosteanus, Operophtera brumata, Scotopteryx luridata, Orthosia cerasi, O. cruda and Cosmia trapezina. Determination of the quantitative structure and the species composition of Lepidoptera caterpillars feeding on hazel is important, especially due to the growing importance of leaf tortricids, which are common pests of orchards [11, 12, 16].

The main factor distinguishing the communities of Lepidoptera, both considering the species composition and the quantity, was broadly determined by type of habitat, with different degrees of anthropopressure. The biggest number of species was observed on the unprotected plantation, and the lowest on the protected one. The observed drop the species diversity caused a clear domination of one species, which was Archips rosanus. Similar relations were observed in the United States [1] as well as in Europe and Asia [3, 19]. Archips rosanus clearly dominated on all the examined sites, and its caterpillars damaged not only the leaf buds and leaves but also the female inflorescence and young nut sets, shelling the leaves together with the covering scales. This pest has been so far noticed on hazel plantations in Europe and in the USA [20]. Besides, in many regions of our country it occurs in great numbers on apple trees, plum trees and currant shrubs [13]. Among the other speci es of Lepidoptera, occurrence of Operophtera brumata on hazel is interesting. The larvae of this species, occurring at the turn of April and May, fed on the leaves but they damaged neither the flowers nor the nut sets, which takes place on apple trees [10]. This species was declared a serious pest on hazel plantations in the USA [2]. Considerable persistence of occurrence in the period of the studies was characteristic of Cosmia trapezina, included within subdominants on the protected plantation. Its caterpillars, feeding on a lot of species of leafy trees and shrubs in forests, gardens and orchards [9] were also observed on common hazel in Sweden [4].

Contrary to the situation on hazel plantations in the USA, where the tortricid Cydia latiferreana, caused losses of 20-40% [3], has key importance, the damage caused by Lepidoptera caterpillars has no economic significance on hazel plantations in Poland. The populations of these pests are effectively controlled by the spring treatment with insecticides carried out against the nut weevil. Attention should only be paid to the damage done to the nut sets by the feeding of Archips rosanus caterpillars in May.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Habitat conditions and man’s activity modified species composition and the quantitative structure of Lepidoptera population inhibiting hazel plants.

2. The damage caused by Lepidoptera caterpillars had no economic significance on hazel plantations in Poland because they were effectively controlled by the spring treatments with insecticides.

3. Caterpillars of Archips rosanus damaged not only leaf buds and leaves but also female inflorescence and young nut sets of hazel shrubs.

I would like to express my gratitude to Professor J. Buszko and Professor J. Napiórkowska-Kowalik for their help in determining Lepidoptera species.

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