The LIFE eGymer Venture efficiently examined totally different sorts of chemical-free traps to regulate the gypsy moth in Southern Europe forests
Along with good traps, larval mass trapping and mating disruption methods have been developed as eco-friendly pest management options.
The brand new options have been examined in Spain, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary and Croatia with early management therapies to forestall additional unfold.
The gypsy moth is an indigenous species that infects oak forests in Central and Southern Europe, Asia and Africa. The larvae’s voracious urge for food poses a serious environmental drawback as a result of the species can fully defoliate timber and trigger well being issues to people and animals within the type of allergic reactions and pores and skin irritation corresponding to dermatitis and hives, as is broadly reported after contact with caterpillars.
Trendy aerial applied sciences to regulate this pest are primarily based on the applying of pesticides. Nonetheless, the excessive utility prices and lack of appropriate gear, personnel abilities and coaching forestall large-scale therapy and make the usage of utility programmes unfeasible for safeguarding high-value forests in lots of nations. Furthermore, the amount of insecticide wanted for large-scale functions has a unfavourable impact on biodiversity in these ecosystems and these pesticides can’t be used close to cities or outlying areas.
To unravel this drawback, the consortium of the LIFE eGymer Venture has efficiently examined totally different sorts of chemical-free traps in a complete of 18 areas in Spain, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary and Croatia.
The primary aim of LIFE eGymer is to make use of a non-chemical, eco-friendly pest management resolution by creating and implementing good, recyclable traps, mass and larval trapping, and mating disruption methods to remotely monitor and successfully management totally different levels of the gypsy moth with a a lot wider utility time window in comparison with chemical management strategies.
The primary outcomes have evaluated the affect of lure sort on the seize of the gypsy moth grownup males in 18 areas in Europe; two in Slovenia (Ginjevec 1 and Ginjevec 2), two in Spain (Montnegre – Corredor and Les Gavarres), twelve in Greece (Pindos, Drama, Petralona 1, Petralona 2, Kouri, Portaria, Lykodromio, Stavroupoli, Kryoneri cemetery, Kryoneri 1, Kryoneri 2, St. Nicholas), one in Hungary (Telki) and one in Croatia (Koška).
Space-wide monitoring of those pilot areas has been important with a purpose to detect ‘sizzling spots’ of the gypsy moth inhabitants and to hold out management therapies early sufficient to forestall additional unfold. Completely different lure designs have been examined on this research, utilizing the variety of adults caught as a method of verifying efficacy.
The information obtained illustrate the presence and distribution of the gypsy moth in a number of European nations, particularly in Southern Europe, for which little data is accessible in comparison with different ecozones. As well as, a number of the traps developed have been discovered to carry out higher than others at capturing the gypsy moth. They are going to be additional examined to create a closing lure design that’s efficient at detecting this species within the grownup stage, and to develop area-wide methods for detection, estimating and administration.
Mitigating deforestation is among the priorities of Sustainable Growth Purpose (SDG) 15 Life on Land. The information obtained on this analysis undertaking could possibly be tailored to a harmonized monitoring protocol in Europe that makes use of standardized lure designs to regulate this pest in giant geographical areas.
The LIFE eGymer undertaking is co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union beneath contract quantity LIFE20 ENV/GR/000801. The consortium is made up of companions College of Thessaly (UTH), Agricultural College of Athens (AUA), College of Ljubljana (UL), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), PROBODELT and AIMPLAS.
