Monitoring reveals new insights
The Pine beauty moth Panolis flammea is one of the most serious defoliators that periodically threatens Scotch pine forests. Contrary to the general decline of UK moths, the Pine Beauty has done well over recent decades, increasing in numbers as a result of pine trees being planted for timber production.
In Finland, climate change is causing the pine pest Panolis flammea, or pine beauty moth, to shift its range northward 50 years ahead of predictions. Changes in both the distribution and size of the pine beauty moth population are linked to higher temperatures, a new study shows.
The larvae of the pine beauty moth feed on the needles of different pine species across Central Europe, developing periodical outbreaks often controlled with chemical insecticides.
These outbreaks co-occur with other pine insect pests and diseases and could reach thousands of hectares.
International Pheromones Systems is working with Prof Olli-Pekka Professor Olli-Pekka Tikkanen and his team at the School of Forest Sciences in Finland to help monitor and track progress of this destructive moth.
Using IPS pheromone lures his important work has so far shown that the destructive Pine Beauty Moth, Panolis flammea, is expanding its range in the pine forests of Finland and it appears that climate change is an important driver for this. Future work is planned which will hopefully enable his team to use temperature data to predict future distribution of this pest.

Journal Reference: John Alexander Pulgarin Díaz, Markus Melin, Olli-Pekka Tikkanen. Thermal sum drives abundance and distribution range shift of Panolis flammea in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 2022; 1 DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2022.2060303