This is that time of the year again. Despite cold winter, late and record wet spring Gypsy Moths emerged. Fourth year in the row. If you don’t know, how they spread, I can tell you this: their females do not fly! At all! So how do they spread? Large caterpillars can walk on the ground, and they doing it, when they finish their food source and it is time to move to another tree. But obviously, they are not that fast moving to actually spread miles away. So what do they do? They fly! In a very early stage, when they just emerged from eggs that overwintered in the low portion of the trunk of big trees, they move up the tree. Then, when weather is right (meaning windy and dry) they produce small web-like string and use it as a sail to fly. OK, so far - nothing particular fascinating. BUT. They do not eat any trees. They have several type of the trees, they wouldn’t touch - maples, for example. In my orchard they would eat apple trees and plum. They wouldn’t touch peach or sour cherry, unless they trapped under cover, but even in this case they wouldn’t eat leaves, but instead they will eat pedicles only. So, bare with me now. the creature 1/2 mm thick and 5 mm long flying with wind. And ends up RIGHT on the correct trees. I have plum and peach close by, their branches almost touch at one spot. But there are no caterpillars on the peach. And there are caterpillars on the plum. And do not tell me they moved form peach to plum - plum has sticky color on the trunk. They could fly from peach to plum, but I can tell you, they just started to fly today, so not much time for maneuvers. And they definitely know, where they fly.
6 Likes
I feel we know so little of the natural world and we sort of have the awareness of a four year old of our surroundings. I am always fascinated by nature and the little things. As a kid i anthropomorphized the black ants the army ants and the antlions around my yard, it was fascinating.
2 Likes