Processionary Moths and Climate Change : An Update

In recent years, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have helped to improve our understanding of the bacterial communities associated with insects, shedding light on their wide taxonomic and functional diversity. To date, little is known about the microbiota of lepidopterans, which includes some of the most damaging agricultural and forest pests worldwide. Studying their microbiota could help us better understand their ecology and offer insights into developing new pest control strategies. In this paper, we review the literature pertaining to the microbiota of lepidopterans with a focus on pests, and highlight potential recurrent patterns regarding microbiota structure and composition.

New Insights into the Microbiota of Moth Pests

Processionary moths carry urticating setae, which cause health problems in humans and other warm-blooded animals. The pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa has responded to global change (climate warming and increased global trade) by extending its distribution range. The subfamily Thaumetopoeinae consists of approximately 100 species. An important question is whether other processionary moth species will similarly respond to these specific dimensions of global change and thus introduce health hazards into new areas. We describe, for the first time, how setae are distributed on different life stages (adult, larva) of major groups within the subfamily. Using the available data, we conclude that there is little evidence that processionary moths as a group will behave like T. pityocampa and expand their distributional range. The health problems caused by setae strongly relate to population density, which may, or may not, be connected to global change.

Processionary Moths and Associated Urtication Risk: Global Change-Driven Effects.

Periodicity and synchrony of pine processionary moth outbreaks in France.

Prolonged pupal diapause drives population dynamics of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in an outbreak expansion area

It is difficult to find a genus of Lepidoptera showing the high variability of life history traits observed in Thaumetopoea. There are typical summer feeding close to winter feeding species, and in one special case a recent switch has been detected even within one species, the pine processionary moth, indicating that the natural history traits are constantly evolving at a fast rate. There are species adapted to cold conditions of high mountains and high latitude close to truly Mediterranean and sub-desert region species. All species have gregarious behaviour as larva and are protected against vertebrate predators by urticating setae.

Natural History of the Processionary Moths (Thaumetopoea spp.): New Insights in Relation to Climate Change

Monoterpenes are aromatic volatile substances used in pharmaceutical and flavoring industries of the world. Menthol is the most important monoterpene of mint oil obtained from mint plants and besides its antimicrobial properties is also used for its cooling sensation in toothpastes, gums and cosmetics etc. 
The objective of the present study was to optimize protocols for micropropagation and callus induction in Mentha piperita var. columna and to evaluate different in vitro biomass produced in comparison with field-grown plants. 
Nodal explants derived from field grown plants of Mentha piperita var. columna were inoculated on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of BAP (0.88, 2.22 or 4.44 μM) alone or in combination with Kinetin (0.99, 2.32, 2.48 or 4.64 μM) for shoot induction and shoot multiplication respectively. For callus induction, 2,4-D (4.52, 6.70, 9.0 or 13.5 μM) was used in combination with BAP (0.8 μM). 
Shoot induction was observed after 15 days, whereas, the callus induction was obtained after 49 days of initial culture.

Preliminary Study Regarding in Vitro Morohogenesis on Mentha Columna L

Ecological landscape studies are carried out concerning the ecosystem biocenosis restore and conservation and to define the ecological terms like "ecosystem services" which have increasingly caught the interest of both environmental researchers and policy makers. Ecosystems, if properly protected and maintained, provide a wide array of valuable services to humans, ranging from the air purification by carbon sequestration to preserve biodiversity of natural capital. The agricultural landscape predominating in Western and Central Europe occupies a significant place in Poland deciding, to a large extent, about the quality of the whole natural environment. Forest island studies were carried out in the agricultural landscape of Western Poland, 15 km north-east of Poznan town. Ten forest islands of varying size (from 0.5 ha to 1.5 ha) were investigated. Flora and plant communities of small forests were examined and 58 plant associations were found. Small areas of forest islands became the refuges of forest plant species and invertebrate fauna in an agricultural landscape. Differentiation, number and domination structure of invertebrate fauna (Acari, Araneae, Apoidea and Curculionidae) were studied. The studied forest islands provide suitable conditions for survival and reproduction of many animal species, and for other accidental species which use these areas for feeding or as a temporary shelter.

Traian Manole

Papers

Natural History of the Processionary Moths (Thaumetopoea spp.): New Insights in Relation to Climate Change

Preliminary Study Regarding in Vitro Morohogenesis on Mentha Columna L

The importance of forest islands for invertebrate biodiversity: a case study in Western Poland