o .eg an Jo of En1tomol0lD' - Norsk entomologisk forening

Survey of the Pine Beauty Moth Panolis jlammea in
Norway in 1980 and 1981 using traps with synthetic
pheromone analogues
0YSTEIN AUSTARA
INTRODUCfION
Austara, 0. 1982. Survey of the Pine Beauty Moth Panolisjlammea in Norway in 1980 and
1981 using traps with synthetic pheromone analogues. Fauna norv. Ser. B. 29, 105-109.
Panolisjlammea (Denis & Schiffermuller) was recorded from 25 localities of a total of 36 localities
surveyed in 1980 and 1981 using traps with synthetic pheromone analogues. The
northern distribution was extended from Kvamme in M0re and Romsdal province to Namsos
in S0f-Tf0ndelag. In South-Norway the moth was recorded from several localities further
inland compared to previously known records and from several new localities along the
west coast. The survey is a part of the internordic project «Pests of Pinus contorta)). In the
nordic countries P.jlammea has never been reported as a pest of Pinus contorta Douglas, but
because of heavy infestations in contorta-plantations in Scotland during the later half of the
1970's. it was decided to obtain more information about the distribution of the moth in Norway.
Other noctuids attracted by the pheromone analogue were Papestra biren (Goeze)
(= Mamestra glauca (Hubner)); Orthosia gothica (Hubner), O. miniosa (Denis & Schiffermuller)
and Anarta myrtilli (L.).
0ystein Austara, Norwegian Forest Research Institute, p.a. Box 61, N-1432 As-NLH, Norway.
The Pine beauty moth, Panolis jlammea (Denis
& Schiffermiiller) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) is
considered one of the most serious pests of Scots
pine, Pinus sylvestris L., in Central Europe.
Mass attacks are known since the fIrst half ofthe
18th century, and most likely this moth was re­
sponsible for the devastations of the forests at
Niirnberg in '1449-1450 (Berwig 1926). Tree
• mortality is usually the results when the pine is
completely defoliated by P. jlammea.
In the Nordic countries, the Pine beauty has
been of little importance as a pest. However, in
southern parts of Sweden approximately 8700
ha were heavily attacked during the years of
1947 and 1948, resulting in considerable tree
mortality. Until 1947, infestations very seldom
occurred. (Lekander 1954). From Norway it is
not known that the moth has ever damaged the
forest.
In different regions of Scotland heavy attacks
of the moth developed in young plantations of
Lodgepole pine, Pinus cortorta Douglas, during
As a result ofthe experiences from Scotland it
was decided to obtain more information about
the distribution of the Pine beauty in Norway,
because P. contorta is of interest as a supplemen·
tary tree species on particular growing sites in
several parts of the country.
The previously known distribution of P.
jlammea in Norway is shown in fIg. I. (After
Opheim 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976, Nordstr0m et
al. 1969, Berggren 1970, Mehl 1971, Bakke
1974, Svendsen 1976). - For the rest of the
Nordic countries, P. jlammea is recorded in one
locality as far north as the Polar circle in Fin­
land, and is fairly common from the south to the
middle parts of the country. (Mikkola & Jalas
1977). In Sweden, the northernmost known locality
is at the Gulf of Bothnia, and the moth is
common in the middle and southern areas ofthe
country. The Pine beauty is locally recorded
over the whole of Denmark (Nordstr0m et al.
1969).
the later half of the 1970's resulting in the death
SURVEY METHOD
ofapproximately 300 ha of plantations (Stoakley Pheromone traps were used for the survey. The
1977, 1979). Prior to this the Pine beauty had trap is made of a wax impregnated cardboard
never occurred as a pest of the pine forests in sheet, folded to the shape of a triangular prism,
Great Britain.
open at both ends. The trap is developed by Arn
Fauna norv. Ser. B 29, 105-109. Oslo 1982. 105