New Pest Response Guidelines - aphis - US Department of Agriculture

Destinations
Pathways
When an actionable pest is intercepted, officers ask for the intended final
destination of the conveyance. Materials infested with Lasiocampidae were
destined for 8 states. The most commonly reported destinations were Florida
and California (25% each), Texas (10%), and New York (10%) (USDA-
AQAS, 2007). Some portion of each of state identified as the intended final
destination has a climate and hosts that would be suitable for establishment by
these moths (Davis et al., 2005)
Establishment and Spread
In its native range, these insects damage more than 20 species of trees in
several genera including Pinus, Abies, Larix, Picea and Tsuga. These host
genera are also widely distributed in North America, but there is uncertainty
about the ability to utilize congeneric hosts. Dendrolimus moths are found
across a wide climatic range and are considered the most important pest of
coniferous forests in Russia (from the center of European Russia to the Far
East), Kazakhstan, Northern China, Korea and Northern Mongolia.
Both males and females fly and can disperse over long distances either on their
own or assisted by air currents. Larvae are also subject to wind dispersal. In
Russia this insect is presently extending its range westward at the rate of
between 12 and 50 km per year. All Dendrolimus spp. have a high reproductive
potential. Females lay an average of 200-300 eggs. Conifer forests have more
or less continuous distributions in North America, especially in the boreal
forests of Canada and the Western and Northeastern forests of the United
States. Populations could go undetected, especially in remote areas and
eradication techniques would be logistically difficult and probably ineffective.
This insect has a broad host range and could adapt to many North American
conifers. (Orlinskii, 2000).
Natural Spread
Natural introductions of pine tree lappet due to wind, flight and/or other natural
causes to the continental United States are very unlikely. Unlike females, males
are strong fliers and have been reported to fly from continental Europe to the
Southern coast of the United Kingdom (Moore, 2009). A transoceanic flight
from Europe to the United States is, however, very unlikely
12/2012-01 Dendrolimus Pine Moths 8-3