Survivorship, Development, and Fecundity of Buck Moth (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) on Common Tree Species in the Gulf Coast Urban Forest

Abstract

Hemileuca maia maia (Drury), the buck moth, is abundant in urban areas of the Gulf Coast region where it defoliates oaks. However, the extent to which the buck moth can survive on other tree species common in the southern urban forest has not been reported. In the laboratory, we studied the suitability and acceptability to larvae of 14 common tree species in New Orleans and determined the extent to which larvae were able to switch to species other than oak midway in their development. Larvae had greater survival, pupal weight, and fecundity, as well as reduced development time, on live oak, water oak, black oak and black cherry than on green ash, sugarberry, sweetgum, red maple, a deciduous ornamental magnolia, American holly, tallow tree, crapemyrtle, mulberry, and black willow. Larvae showed some ability to switch from oak to some non-oak species, but fecundity, pupal weights, and development time were affected as assessed from the time of switch. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of outbreak dynamics of the moth in urban forests.