Abstract
To control a forest pest, it is necessary to understand the biotic and/or abiotic factors that can lead to population regulation. Such knowledge is even more critical if the pest is an invasive alien species. This is the case for Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832), commonly known as the oak lace bug (OLB), an alien insect species that has invaded oak forests on a large scale, both in Romania and other European countries. In this study, we set out to examine the relationship between adults of this species and meteorological factors, such as air temperature and humidity. The study lasted for two years (2019–2020) and was performed on three plots in Romania, in Ilfov, Giurgiu, and Călărași counties. In the first year, the seasonal dynamics of the OLB populations and the meteorological factors potentially influencing those were studied, whilst in the second year, the dynamics of the diurnal activity of the insect population were examined. We found that Corythucha arcuata experienced two population peaks—in July and August—and a diurnal population dynamic that reached a maximum at midday. Data analysis indicated that, for most of the time, the adult activity was influenced by both temperature and humidity. In addition, the population dynamics were not constant over the course of the day, preferring relatively high temperatures and low humidity but not exceeding certain thresholds of thermal discomfort.
Highlights
Climate change, through temperature increases from one decade to the has led to changes in the behaviour of pest insects
Through temperature increases from one decade to the has led to changes in the behaviour of pest insects. These may be manifested, for example, as an expansion in the altitudinal/latitudinal distributions of certain species, by outbreaks of species that previously have not occurred in pest quantities, by reports and the rapid expansion of invasive alien species, by an increase in the frequency and intensity of such outbreaks, by an increase in vitality and implicitly, feeding, by an increase in the number of generations per year, and by disturbances in the food chain [1]
Considering that meteorological factors are decisive in the metabolic activity of insects, we proposed two hypotheses for the oak lace bug (OLB): (1) The dynamics of the population in a growing season may vary depending on meteorological factors, and (2) any meteorological change during the day can lead to changes in their diurnal activities
Summary
Through temperature increases from one decade to the has led to changes in the behaviour of pest insects. These may be manifested, for example, as an expansion in the altitudinal/latitudinal distributions of certain species, by outbreaks of species that previously have not occurred in pest quantities, by reports and the rapid expansion of invasive alien species, by an increase in the frequency and intensity of such outbreaks, by an increase in vitality and implicitly, feeding, by an increase in the number of generations per year, and by disturbances in the food chain [1]. Against this general background, several new invasive alien insect species have been reported in forest ecosystems on the European continent. Kenis and Branco [6] opined that even though European forest ecosystems are less affected by invasive pests than forests on other continents, a greater diversity of invasive forest pests that can cause damage has recently become established on the continent, including species such as Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Megaplatypus mutatus Chapuis. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Anoplophora glabripennis
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