Ailanthus Webworm Moth and Lanternfly Invasion
Ailanthus webworm moth attracted to an illuminated sheet at night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Kenneth Frank.)
The ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva aurea) ranges from eastern Canada to Costa Rica. In temperate eastern North America, its caterpillars feed exclusively on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive weed. This same tree is the favored host of the introduced spotted lanternfly. A question is whether invasion of eastern North America by the spotted lanternfly reduced abundance of the ailanthus webworm moth.
Analysis of over 400,000 iNaturalist.org observations revealed a decline of the ailanthus webworm moth in counties invaded by the lanternfly relative to counties not invaded. In invaded counties, observations of the ailanthus webworm moth declined relative to observations of Lepidoptera overall. In non-invaded counties, observations of the ailanthus webworm moth did not decline relative to Lepidoptera overall.
The findings indicate that the spotted lanternfly invasion—or efforts to control it—likely reduced populations of the ailanthus webworm moth.
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View my published research on Ailanthus Webworm Moth and Lanternfly Invasion