Asynchrony in larval development of the pine beauty moth, Panolis flammea, on an introduced host plant may affect parasitoid efficacy

In the United Kingdom, Panolis flammea (Den. and Schiff.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest species of the introduced lodgepole pine but not of its natural host Scots pine. The timing of P. flammea larval growth must be synchronized with its host tree if the larvae are to succeed. We collected field data during 1990 which revealed that the phenological window starts earlier in Scots pine and is shorter than that observed in lodgepole pine. The larvae are found in the field earlier and within a narrower time frame within a Scots pine forest than in a lodgepole pine forest. The larval developmental period is significantly longer on lodgepole pine than on Scots pine. The synchrony/asynchrony of P. flammea to its natural host (Scots pine) and an introduced tree (lodgepole pine) results in the parasitoids having a different impact on the larvae of the two hosts. At any one time, the host plant, caterpillars and parasitoids are more synchronous on the ancestral Scots pine than on lodgepole pine, resulting in a higher percentage of larvae in the optimal instar for parasitism at that time. In lodgepole pine, the percentage of suitable instars available to parasitoids is lower at any given time. The information presented here furthers our understanding of the possible mechanisms for the observed differential population dynamics of the insect on Scots pine and lodgepole pine in the UK