Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T05:36:22.096Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Life History and Dispersal of the Bruce Spanworm, Operophtera bruceata (Hulst), (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

C. E. Brown
Affiliation:
Forest Entomology and Pathology Laboratory, Calgary, Alberta

Extract

The Bruce spanworrn, Operophtera bruceata (Hulst), is most common in the mid latitudes of the North American Continent; in Canada it occurs from Newfoundland to the interior of British Columbia (Prentice, In Press) and has been reported from Vermont and Wisconsin in the United States (Craighead, 1950.) Three outbreaks of this insect have been recorded in Alberta. The first occurred in 1903 (de Gryse, 1925) and was apparently of short duration. The second reported by Wolley Dod (1913) occurred in 1913 and denuded hundreds of acres of aspen poplar. Heavy defoliation in the third outbreak became evident in 1957 (Brown, 1957) but an examination of Forest Insect Survey records revealed that population buildup began about 1951. The outbreak continued to expand until 1958 and began to decline in 1959; by 1961 populations were again low except for one or two isolated areas where moderate to low populations persisted. At the peak of the outbreak in 1958 approximately 50,000 square miies were moderately or heavily infested and many more lightly infested.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1962

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

Bailey, H. L. 1934. Vermont Comm. Agri. Bien. Report 17: 6768.Google Scholar
Brown, C. E.19571960. Annual Reports of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey, Alberta Region. Canada Dept. of Agriculture.Google Scholar
Craighead, F. C. 1950. Insect Enemies of Eastern Forests, U.S. Dept. of Agr., Misc. Pub. 657, p. 426.Google Scholar
de Gryse, J. J. 1925. Injurious Shade Tree Insects of the Canadian Prairies. Can. Dept. of Agr. Pamphlet No. 47 N.S.Google Scholar
Forbes, W. T. M. 1948. Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States Pt. 2. Mem. 274, Cornell University Agr. Expt. Sta. pp. 128175.Google Scholar
Maltais, J. B. 1933. Que. Pom. and Fr. Grow. Society Report 40: 9899.Google Scholar
McGuffin, W. C. 1958. Larvae of the Nearctic Larentiinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Can. Ent. Supp. 8.Google Scholar
Packard, A. S. 1876. A Monograph of the Geometrid Moths or Phalaenidae of the United States. Rept. of the U.S. Geol. Surv. of the Terr. Vol. 10 pp. i-iv, 1607.Google Scholar
Prentice, R. M. comp. Forest Lepidoptera of Canada recorded by the Forest Insect Survey. Vol. 3. Can. Dept. Forestry, Ottawa. (In press).Google Scholar
Twinn, C. R. 1934. Ent. Soc. Ont. Report 65: 119.Google Scholar
Wellington, W. C., and Henson, W. R.. 1947. Notes of the Effects of Physical Factors on the Spruce Budworm Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.). Can. Ent. 79: 168170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolley Dod, F. H. 1913. Further Notes on Alberta Lepidoptera. Can. Ent. 45: 301.Google Scholar