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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

A baker's occupational allergy to flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella).

BACKGROUND: Allergy to insects is common. However, few reports cover occupational sensitization to flour moth (Ephestia [syn. Anagasta] kuehniella). We describe a baker who suffered from IgE-mediated occupational respiratory allergy to flour moth. METHODS: The skin prick test (SPT) and serum IgE tests were used to evaluate the patient's sensitivity to flour moth. Allergen cross-reactivity with mites was evaluated in IgE-inhibition studies. Clinical sensitivity was evaluated by nasal challenge test. Pulmonary function tests were repeatedly monitored. RESULTS: SPT with flour moth gave a 6-mm wheal, and an elevated level of flour moth-specific IgE was measured in the patient's serum (1.9 PRU/ml, RAST class 2). Immunoblotting with the patient's serum revealed at least seven heavy IgE-binding bands with molecular masses of 22, 35, 43, 53, 65, 77, and >86 kDa in the extract of flour moth. Allergen cross-reactivity with mites was demonstrated in inhibition studies. Immediate-type allergy to flour moth was confirmed by nasal challenge. Increased daily variability of PEF values was observed during workplace exposure. CONCLUSION: A baker's occupational respiratory allergy to flour moth was confirmed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Forty million years of mutualism: evidence for eocene origin of the yucca-yucca moth association.

The obligate mutualism between yuccas and yucca moths is a major model system for the study of coevolving species interactions. Exploration of the processes that have generated current diversity and associations within this mutualism requires robust phylogenies and timelines for both moths and yuccas. Here we establish a molecular clock for the moths based on mtDNA and use it to estimate the time of major life history events within the yucca moths. Colonization of yuccas had occurred by 41.5 +/- 9.8 million years ago (Mya), with rapid life history diversification and the emergence of pollinators within 0-6 My after yucca colonization. A subsequent burst of diversification 3.2 +/- 1.8 Mya coincided with evolution of arid habitats in western North America. Derived nonpollinating cheater yucca moths evolved 1.26 +/- 0.96 Mya. The estimated age of the moths far predates the host fossil record, but is consistent with suggested host age based on paleobotanical, climatological, biogeographical, and geological data, and a tentative estimation from an rbcL-based molecular clock for yuccas. The moth data are used to establish three alternative scenarios of how the moths and plants have coevolved. They yield specific predictions that can be tested once a robust plant phylogeny becomes available.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of mating disruption with pesticides for management of oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in North Carolina apple orchards.

The efficacy of mating disruption by using Isomate-M 100 pheromone dispensers and two formulations of microencapsulated sprayable pheromone for management of oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), was compared with conventional insecticides in large plot studies in Henderson County, North Carolina, in 2000 and 2001. In addition, experiments were conducted in small and large plots to test the response of oriental fruit moth males to different application rates of sprayable pheromone. Pheromone trap catches were significantly reduced in mating disruption blocks compared with conventional and abandoned orchards. Pheromone traps placed in the upper canopy captured significantly more moths than traps placed in the lower canopy across all treatments, and lures loaded with 100 microg of pheromone caught more moths than traps with 300 microg, but the difference between doses was statistically significant at only one location in 2001. Isomate-M 100 provided excellent trap shutdown and was significantly more effective than sprayable pheromone formulations. Fruit damage by oriental fruit moth larvae was very low (< or = 1%) in mating disruption blocks and was generally lower than in conventional and nonmanaged blocks. Based on male moth response to pheromone traps in small plots, there was little difference among doses of sprayable pheromone, ranging from 12.4 to 49.1 g (AI)/ha, but efficacy declined at 2.4 g (AI)/ha. With the exception of one orchard, there was no significant difference between 12.4 and 37.1 g (AI)/ha under low and high oriental fruit moth population pressure in large plot studies. Mating disruption proved to be an alternative to organophosphate insecticides for managing oriental fruit moth populations in North Carolina apple orchards.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Epidemic dermatitis due to contact with a moth in Cozumel, Mexico.

In early December 1989, an outbreak that was initially thought to be scabies was investigated among employees of tourist hotels in Cozumel, Mexico. Of 417 employees interviewed, only 19 (4.6%) met a case definition for scabies dermatitis, while 91 (21.8%) reported a nonspecific dermatitis of less than one-week's duration. Persons with nonspecific dermatitis related the onset of their dermatitis to skin contact with a moth that had been present in large numbers in November. At the time of the initial investigation in December, there were no active cases of dermatitis and the moth was no longer present. During early January 1990, numerous cases of dermatitis again began to be reported. Using a case definition for nonspecific dermatitis, a survey of Cozumel's resident population showed an attack rate of 12.1%. A case-control study revealed the only significant risk factor to be skin contact with the suspect moth (P less than 0.01), which had returned in large numbers. Six health workers volunteered to have the moth rubbed on their skin; within 5 min, five of six developed an intense pruritus followed by an erythematous rash. The moth was classified as Hylesia alinda Druce. This species has nettling hairs on its abdomen that excrete a histamine-like substance. Although this moth is normally present in small numbers in Cozumel, the passage of hurricane Gilbert killed most of its natural predators (wasps and bees), allowing its population to overgrow. No control measures were undertaken because the moth's natural predators returned that spring and dramatically reduced the moth population. No further outbreaks of dermatitis occurred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Multiple occurrences of mutualism in the yucca moth lineage.

The complex mutualism between yuccas and the moths that pollinate their flowers is regarded as one of the most obvious cases of coevolution. Studies of related genera show that at least two of the critical behavioral and life history traits suggested to have resulted from coevolved mutualism in yucca moths are plesiomorphic to the family. Another trait, oviposition into flowers, has evolved repeatedly within the family. One species with these traits, Greya politella, feeds on and pollinates plants of a different family, but pollination occurs through a different component of the oviposition behavior than in the yucca moths. Major differences compared with yucca moths and their hosts are that G. politella only passively pollinates its host and that copollinators often contribute to pollination. This analysis suggests that evolution of mutualism between yuccas and yucca moths may have required few behavioral and life history changes in the moths. The truly coevolved features of this interaction appear to be the evolution of active pollination by the moths, the associated morphological structures in the moths for carrying pollen, and the exclusion of copollinators by yuccas.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1966

Auditory system of noctuid moths.

Insect-eating bats find their aerial food by sonar, through emitting ultrasonic chirps and locating sources of echoes. Certain moths have ears sensitive to these chirps and can detect bats well beyond the range of the bats' sonar. On hearing a distant bat, many moths turn and fly directly away from the source of ultrasound. Only one sense cell in each ear of a moth provides the primary nervous information for this response. This article describes my initial attempts to find out how a moth's central nervous system processes the train of chirps reaching its two ears. The ear of a restrained moth is exposed to a sequence of artifically generated ultrasonic pulses that approximates the cries made by a bat. This stimulus can be varied with respect to ultrasonic frequency (pitch), pulse intensity, pulse duration, the interval between pulses, and pulse-train duration. The more sensitive acoustic sense cell responds to all frequencies between about 15,000 and 80,000 cycles per second, but the signal that it transmits to the moth's central nervous system contains no measure of frequency within this range. However, this nerve signal reports variations in the other parameters of the stimulus. The acoustic fiber connects, in the central nervous system, with various nerve cells that transform the signal farther. The signal from a pulse-marker neuron contains no measures of pulse intensity or pulse duration, reporting only changes in interpulse interval and pulse-train duration. A train-marker neuron reports only the duration of the pulse train. The stimulus parameters may be likened to keys, each of which is necessary to gain admittance through a given door but becomes superfluous once this door has been passed. This analogy suggests one of the ways in which a signal is transformed in its passage through the nervous system, and how its specificity is assured in eliciting a given response. In addition to undergoing this kind of transformation, neural signals generated in the two directionally sensitive ears must be combined if a flying moth is to steer a course away from a distant bat. Neurons have been discovered in the central ganglia which summate signals from the right and left ears. Other neurons are inhibited in their activity by stimulation of one ear. The moth may combine signals from these neurons with motor-nerve information on the attitude of its own wings, which act as oscillating baffles modifying its directional acoustic sensitivity 20 to 40 times a second as it flaps an erratic path through the darkness.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Monitoring codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with passive interception traps in sex pheromone-treated apple orchards.

Male and female codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), were monitored with passive interception traps (PI-traps) in apple orchards treated with sex pheromone dispensers. The proportion of mated females recaptured by PI-traps was significantly higher than the proportion released after the release of both sexes into a codling moth-infested orchard. However, no significant difference occurred between the proportion of mated females recaptured and released when only females were released into uninfested orchards. Replicated nine-tree apple plots situated either on the edge or in the center ofpheromone-treated apple orchards were monitored with PI-traps during first moth flight in 1995 and during both flights in 1996. Moths caught on PI-traps were predominately males. The first male moths were captured 7-10 d before females during the first flight in both years. Initial capture of virgin and mated females on PI-traps coincided in 1995. Mated females were captured 14 d after the first virgin females in 1996. The mean proportion of females that were mated ranged from 32 to 55% during the first flight and 85 to 92% during the second flight. Moth catch and fruit injury were significantly higher in the edge versus the center plots. The numbers of total and female moths caught with PI-traps were significantly correlated with fruit injury for each generation. The percentage of female moths caught on PI-traps that were mated was 32% lower and the mean oocyte load of all females was 42% higher in a pheromone-treated apple orchard than in the untreated crabapple grove monitored during May and June 1997.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Skin-piercing blood-sucking moths I: ecological and ethological studies on Calpe eustrigata (Lepid., noctuidae).

The Noctuid Calpe [Calyptral] eustrigata Hmps. was reported as a skin-piercing blood-sucking moth for the first time in Malaya (Bänziger, 1968) and is so far the only lepidopteran proved to suck blood by means of a piercing act. A few field observations and the description of the piercing behaviour of caged moths were given. Apart from a taxonomic study of the genus Calpe (Berio, 1956), a single record (Büttiker, 1969) and some notes on the moth's proboscis and possible evolutionary pathway (Bänziger, 1970, 1971, 1972) to our knowledge no other data have been published on the moth after its description as a new species (Hampson, 1926). The life cycle is completely unknown. From the scanty museum specimens available, it appears that the species inhabits South and Southeast Asia. A closely related, though less rare species, the fruit-piercing C. thalictri Bkh., has been used for a detailed study of the piercing mechanism likely to be adopted by Calpe (Bänziger, 1970); the feeding turned out to be as unusual as the feeding habits. Little or nothing is known about other Calpe species. C. eustrigata is not the only adult lepidopterous parasite of mammals. Lachryphagous ("eye-frequenting") moths feed as "marginal" parasites upon eye-secretions of ungulates, elephants and occasionally man (Shannon, 1928; Reid, 1954; Büttiker, 1964, 1967; Bänziger, 1966). Arcyophora species and the eulachryphagous Noctuid Lobocraspis graseifusa Hmps. which apparently feeds exclusively upon eye discharges, are suspected as vectors of eye diseases (Guilbride et al., 1959, Büttiker, 1964; Bänziger, 1972). While no lachryphagous moth is able to suck blood by a piercing act, there are a number of facultative lachryphagous moths which lick up the blood freely present at wounds, or that excreted anally by mosquitoes (Bänziger, 1969, 1972). Because of the scientific interest in C. eustrigata, research has been carried out to investigate different biological aspects of the species in Malaysia, Thailand. Laos and Indonesia (May 1971-May 1973). The first account presented here will be continued with a paper (in prep.) on the piercing mechanism and soon, it is hoped, with more information on the physiology, life cycle and medical importance of the moth.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed2005

Sound strategy: acoustic aposematism in the bat-tiger moth arms race.

The night sky is the venue for an ancient arms race. Insectivorous bats with their ultrasonic sonar exert an enormous selective pressure on nocturnal insects. In response insects have evolved the ability to hear bat cries, to evade their hunting maneuvers, and some, the tiger moths (Arctiidae), to utter an ultrasonic reply. We here determine what it is that tiger moths "say" to bats. We chose four species of arctiid moths, Cycnia tenera, Euchaetes egle, Utetheisa ornatrix, and Apantesis nais, that naturally differ in their levels of unpalatability and their ability to produce sound. Moths were tethered and offered to free-flying naive big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus. The ability of the bats to capture each species was compared to their ability to capture noctuid, geometrid, and wax moth controls over a learning period of 7 days. We repeated the experiment using the single arctiid species E. egle that through diet manipulation and simple surgery could be rendered palatable or unpalatable and sound producing or mute. We again compared the capture rates of these categories of E. egle to control moths. Using both novel learning approaches we have found that the bats only respond to the sounds of arctiids when they are paired with defensive chemistry. The sounds are in essence a warning to the bats that the moth is unpalatable-an aposematic signal.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of sublethal doses of malathion on responses to sex pheromones by male Asian corn borer moths, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée).

We evaluated the sublethal effects of malathion treatment on the behavioral responses of male Asian corn borers, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), to their sex pheromones. Doses of malathion causing 1-50% mortality were topically applied to Asian corn borer male moths. The survivors were tested for behavioral and electroantennogram (EAG) responses to their sex pheromones. Sublethal doses of malathion affected males' ability to locate a pheromone source. In wind tunnel tests, male moths treated with sublethal doses of malathion took 2.5 to 12 times as long to take flight as control moths. Malathion-treated male moths were 60-96% less likely to locate a sex pheromone source than control moths. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the proportions of males performing each key stage were significantly correlated with the doses of malathion, but not with the time since treatment. Sensitivity and specificity of perception to pheromones in male moths were also disrupted by sublethal doses of malathion. The EAG responses of males treated with malathion decreased 0.13 mV on average compared with control moths. In addition, the ratios of pheromone components that elicited the largest responses shifted from approximately 5:5 to 1:9 (E/Z) and 9:1. We conclude that treatment with sublethal doses of malathion significantly reduced the likelihood that male Asian corn borers could successfully locate a normal female releasing sex pheromones.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Quantitative analysis of the effects of ultrasound from an odor sprayer on moth flight behavior.

A piezoelectric sprayer was recently developed for precision release of odor stimuli in olfactory research. The device replaces conventional dispensers used to release semiochemicals in studies of moth flight toward sources. However, the device generates high-frequency sounds in the range that some moths can hear. Ultrasound from the standard set-up sprayer had a considerable impact on flight behavior of the silver Y moth, Autographa gamma, tested in a flight tunnel. It was affected at all behavioral stages when the dispenser was driven at 120 kHz. Only 5% of the moths reached the source when exposed to 120-kHz sound from the dispenser compared to 65% in the control group without sound. The proportion taking flight was also reduced. Hearing threshold curves obtained electrophysiologically revealed that moths were sensitive to the frequency range at which the sprayer was operated and that sound intensity from the sprayer was up to 40 dB above the moths' electrophysiological hearing threshold. The audiogram for A. gamma was similar to audiograms obtained for other noctuids. Hearing sensitivity was highest at around 15 kHz, where the threshold was 35 dB SPL (sound pressure level). The threshold increased with frequency up to 94 dB SPL at 160 kHz. We improved the sprayer to operate at 300 kHz, which is beyond the hearing ability of most insects with ears. At this high frequency, the moths' sensitivity to ulrasound is reduced considerably, and we did not observe any effect on flight behavior compared to a control group without sound. Accordingly, this new piezoelectric sprayer can be used with ultrasound-sensitive insects and insensitive insects alike.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Diamondback moth compensatory consumption of protease inhibitor-transformed plants.

Prior study of the effect of protease inhibitors (PIs) on diamondback moths suggests that moths are resistant to them, so PIs represent an ineffective defence against moths. However, our data suggest that diamondback moths do suffer lower growth rates when they consume plants transformed with potato protease inhibitor (PI2), but that effect is hidden by compensatory consumption. Plants, instead of gaining an advantage by lowering the insect growth rate, suffer a disadvantage as moths consume more tissue to mitigate the effect. Furthermore, PI2, when used in conjunction with another transgenic pesticidal protein, Bt (from Bacillus thuringiensis) counteracts the effectiveness of Bt at protecting plant tissue. Thus, transgenic PIs are not only less effective than previously thought in protecting Brassica plants from diamondback moths, they may actually lead to increased plant damage by the moths.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1995

Multiple origins of the yucca-yucca moth association.

The association of species of yucca and their pollinating moths is considered one of the two classic cases of obligate mutualism between floral hosts and their pollinators. The system involves the active collection of pollen by females of two prodoxid moth genera and the subsequent purposeful placement of the pollen on conspecific stigmas of species of Yucca. Yuccas essentially depend on the moths for pollination and the moths require Yucca ovaries for oviposition. Because of the specificity involved, it has been assumed that the association arose once, although it has been suggested that within the prodoxid moths as a whole, pollinators have arisen from seed predators more than once. We show, by using phylogenies generated from three molecular data sets, that the supposed restriction of the yucca moths and their allies to the Agavaceae is an artifact caused by an incorrect circumscription of this family. In addition we provide evidence that Yucca is not monophyletic, leading to the conclusion that the modern Yucca-yucca moth relationship developed independently more than once by colonization of a new host.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Can sunspot activity and ultraviolet-B radiation explain cyclic outbreaks of forest moth pest species?

Cyclic outbreaks of forest moth pest species have long remained a puzzle for foresters and ecologists. This paper presents time-series exhibiting a strong negative relationship between sunspot numbers and population indices of autumnal and winter moths, both in a mountain birch forest in central Norway and in a mixed lowland forest in southern Norway. In the latter area, also the population level of a moth species feeding entirely on lichens was negatively related to sunspot numbers. Low sunspot activity leads to a thinner ozone layer and thus higher surface ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation. As winter moth larvae prefer leaves subjected to enhanced UV-B radiation, we suggest that the causal relationship between sunspots and moths is that the metabolic costs of producing UV-B-protective pigments during periods of low sunspot activity reduce trees' and lichens' resistance to herbivores, and thus increase the survival of moth larvae. Higher peak densities of moth cycles in mountain forests could be explained by the general higher UV-B radiation at higher altitudes.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The adaptive function of tiger moth clicks against echolocating bats: an experimental and synthetic approach.

We studied the efficiency and effects of the multiple sensory cues of tiger moths on echolocating bats. We used the northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis, a purported moth specialist that takes surface-bound prey (gleaning) and airborne prey (aerial hawking), and the dogbane tiger moth, Cycnia tenera, an eared species unpalatable to bats that possesses conspicuous colouration and sound-producing organs (tymbals). This is the first study to investigate the interaction of tiger moths and wild-caught bats under conditions mimicking those found in nature and to demand the use of both aerial hawking and gleaning strategies by bats. Further, it is the first to report spectrograms of the sounds produced by tiger moths while under aerial attack by echolocating bats. During both aerial hawking and gleaning trials, all muted C. tenera and perched intact C. tenera were attacked by M. septentrionalis, indicating that M. septentrionalis did not discriminate C. tenera from palatable moths based on potential echoic and/or non-auditory cues. Intact C. tenera were attacked significantly less often than muted C. tenera during aerial hawking attacks: tymbal clicks were therefore an effective deterrent in an aerial hawking context. During gleaning attacks, intact and muted C. tenera were always attacked and suffered similar mortality rates, suggesting that while handling prey this bat uses primarily chemical signals. Our results also show that C. tenera temporally matches the onset of click production to the ;approach phase' echolocation calls produced by aerial hawking attacking bats and that clicks themselves influence the echolocation behaviour of attacking bats. In the context of past research, these findings support the hypotheses that the clicks of arctiid moths are both an active defence (through echolocation disruption) and a reliable indicator of chemical defence against aerial-hawking bats. We suggest these signals are specialized for an aerial context.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Integration of nonchemical treatments for control of postharvest pyralid moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in almonds and raisins.

We propose a treatment strategy combining an initial disinfestation treatment with one of three protective treatments as an alternative for chemical fumigation of almonds and raisins for control of postharvest insect populations. Initial disinfestation treatments using low oxygen controlled atmosphere (0.4% O2) were designed to disinfest product of field populations of pyralid moths; navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), in almonds and raisin moth, Cadra figulilella (Gregson), in raisins. The protective treatments were cold storage (10 degrees C), controlled atmosphere (5% O2) storage, and application of the Indianmeal moth granulosis virus, and were designed to prevent establishment of Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner). The initial disinfestation treatment was effective against laboratory populations of navel orangeworm and raisin moth. Efficacy of protective treatments was determined by exposure of commodities to laboratory Indianmeal moth populations at levels far higher than those found in commercial storage facilities. All three protective treatments prevented development of damaging Indianmeal moth populations as measured by pheromone trap catches and evaluation of product samples. Quality analysis by commercial laboratories showed that overall product quality for all protective treatments was maintained at levels acceptable by industry standards.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of preventive treatments in low-density gypsy moth populations using pheromone traps.

Pheromone traps can be used for evaluating the success of treatments that are applied to either eradicate or delay the growth of isolated low-density populations of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). We developed an index of treatment success, T, that measures the reduction in moth counts in the block treated adjusted by the change in moth counts in the reference area around it. This index was used to analyze the effectiveness of treatments that were conducted as part of the USDA Forest Service Slow-the-Spread of the gypsy moth project from 1993 to 2001. Out of 556 treatments that were applied during this period, 266 (188,064 ha) were selected for the analysis based on several criteria. They included 173 blocks treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) variety kurstaki and 93 blocks treated with racemic disparlure. Analysis using general linear models indicated that disparlure treatments were significantly more effective than B. thuringiensis treatments in reducing moth captures. The frequency of repeated treatments in the same area was higher after B. thuringiensis than after disparlure applications. Treatments were more successful if the pretreatment moth counts outside of the block treated were low compared with moth counts inside the block.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Implicating an introduced generalist parasitoid in the invasive browntail moth's enigmatic demise.

Recent attention has focused on the harmful effects of introduced biological control agents on nontarget species. The parasitoid Compsilura concinnata is a notable example of such biological control gone wrong. Introduced in 1906 primarily for control of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, this tachinid fly now attacks more than 180 species of native Lepidoptera in North America. While it did not prevent outbreaks or spread of gypsy moth, we present reanalyzed historical data and experimental findings suggesting that parasitism by C. concinnata is the cause of the enigmatic near-extirpation of another of North America's most successful invaders, the browntail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea). From a range of approximately 160,000 km2 a century ago, browntail moth (BTM) populations currently exist only in two spatially restricted coastal enclaves, where they have persisted for decades. We experimentally established BTM populations within this area and found that they were largely free of mortality caused by C. concinnata. Experimental populations of BTM at inland sites outside of the currently occupied coastal enclaves were decimated by C. concinnata, a result consistent with our reanalysis of historical data on C. concinnata parasitism of the browntail moth. The role of C. concinnata in the disappearance of browntail moth outside these enclaves has not been reported before. Despite the beneficial role played by C. concinnata in reversing the browntail moth invasion, we do not advocate introduction of generalist biological control agents. Our findings illustrate that the impact of such organisms can be both unpredictable and far-reaching.

Animals↗