L. Royer, J. Luther, H. Crummey, É. Bauce, J. Delisle, C. Hébertand D. Quiring.
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service

SERG Project #2004/07
Year of Project: 2005
Report Received: 2006

The hemlock looper (HL), Lambdina fiscellaria (Guen.), is a native insect that periodically defoliates coniferous forests of eastern Canada. Outbreaks of this pest generally begin as small, scattered infestations, which explosively increase in size and distribution. Extensive tree mortality may occur after only one or two years of severe defoliation by this insect. Therefore, early outbreak detection and early intervention, where it is required, are major issues for improving HL management (monitoring and applying suppression tactics). This project proposes to address these issues by providing forest managers with basic and critical information: 1) to detect and predict HL attacks, 2) to improve our density-damage estimates by evaluating and determining the major ecological factors (abiotic and biotic) affecting egg and newly-hatched larvae survivals and by improving sampling efficiency, 3) to improve the ability of pest managers to apply Bt at the optimal time by elaborating a degree-day model that predicts the development of HL larvae in the field.