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- Title
Biological control of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) by the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga in Bulgaria in 2021.
- Authors
Georgiev, Georgi; Mirchev, Plamen; Georgieva, Margarita; Kechev, Mihail; Belilov, Sevdalin; Matova, Maria; Petrova, Vyara; Mateva, Petya; Kirilova, Maria; Mutafchiiski, Ilian
- Abstract
A biological control programme against gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) populations was carried out in 2021 via the inoculative release of the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga on the territory of four State Forest Enterprises: Municipal Enterprise (ME) 'Management of Municipal Forests, Agriculture and Forestry, Nessebar; State Game Enterprises (SGE) Nessebar and Balchik; State Forestry (SF) Vidin. The pathogen was released during the period 15-26.03.2021 in 34 localities - five in ME Nessebar, eight in SGE Nessebar, ten in SGE Balchik and eleven in SF Vidin. The average number of gypsy moth population density in the locations of introduction was relatively high, ranging between 0.4-15.9 egg masses/tree in the area of SGE Balchik and 11.9-65.0 egg masses/tree in the area of ME Nessebar. The average mortality of young gypsy moth caterpillars (first-third instar) due to E. maimaiga varied between 2.6% (SGE Balchik) and 13.0% (SF Vidin), and of caterpillars in later fourth-sixth instar - between 20.7% (SF Vidin) and 52.4% (ME Nessebar). The lowest overall mortality of the gypsy moth caterpillars due to E. maimaiga was in the region of SGE Balchik (26.1%), followed by SF Vidin (33.7%), SGE Nessebar (48.5%) and ME Nessebar (55.9%). As a result of the release, the severe gypsy moth outbreaks in the region of Nessebar were significantly suppressed. There is a high number of E. maimaiga resting spores remaining in the surface layers of the soil in the other two areas (Vidin and Balchik). They have the potential to suppress L. dispar attacks in years to follow.
- Subjects
LYMANTRIA dispar; ENTOMOPATHOGENIC fungi; ENTOMOPHAGA maimaiga; PATHOGENIC microorganisms; CATERPILLARS
- Publication
Silva Balcanica, 2021, Vol 22, Issue 3, p17
- ISSN
1311-8706
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3897/silvabalcanica.22.e78600