Local adaptations and phenotypic plasticity may render gypsy moth and nun moth future pests in northern European boreal forests.

• Main Authors: Fält-Nardmann, Julia Jasmin Janette, Klemola, Tero, Ruohomäki, Kai, Niemelä, Pekka, Roth, Mechthild, Saikkonen, Kari
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing) 2017
• Subjects: Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/77827; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfr-2016-0481

Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptations are important factors in predicting range expansions and shifts of pest insects in a changing climate. We reared two lepidopteran forest pests, Lymantria monacha and L. dispar, at three climatically different field sites from central Germany to northern Finland to investigate differences among populations in plasticity in the timing of pupation and adult emergence (measured as cumulative temperature sums, degree days > 5 °C), pupal mass, and duration of the pupal period. We also compared the phenologies of continental and boreal L. monacha populations feeding on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) to reveal possible local adaptations. Lymantria dispar was reared on different host plants â Quercus robur, Betula pendula and B. pubescens ssp. czerepanovii â to evaluate the possibilities of a range expansion northwards. There was stronger indication of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, which enables species to cope with changing environmental conditions, in continental L. dispar and boreal L. monacha populations than in the continental L. monacha population. Differences between boreal and continental L. monacha populations may denote adaptation to local conditions. All three host plants used for L. dispar proved suitable for the species, revealing that host plant availability would not limit its range expansion in Northern Europe. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author.