Resource Number: 14537
Title: Controlling Nantucket Pine Tip Moth Infestations in the Southeastern U.S.
Description: The Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a common pest of Christmas tree and pine plantations throughout much of the eastern U.S. As silvicultural practices intensify, insecticide applications are increasingly used to protect trees from the growth and form losses caused by larval feeding. The thermal requirements for the Nantucket pine tip moth to complete a generation were obtained from published data and used along with historical temperature data to produce maps indicating the number of annual generations predicted to occur throughout seven southeastern states. Spray timing prediction values were also obtained from published data and used to predict optimal spray periods based on 5-day increments for each location where either three or four generations occurred. Approximately 80% of the predicted optimal spray periods were within one optimal spray period of previously field-determined spray dates. Land managers who use contact insecticides, such as synthetic pyrethroids, may find the predicted optimal spray periods useful in optimizing spray effectiveness.
Last Updated: May 20, 2021
Domain(s)/Area(S):
- Forestry
Locations: