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The aim of this study, conducted in 2018 and 2020, was to investigate the bioactivity of a local baculovirus isolate, Hyphantria cunea granulovirus (HycuGV), in seven lepidopteran pests. Based on data collected 10 days after exposure, HycuGV was found to infect Malacosoma neustria (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), Lymantria dispar (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner, 1805) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Spodoptera exigua (Hubner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae as well as its host Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). However, it did not infect Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1883) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Cydia pomonella (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). A HycuGV dose rate experiment indicated LC50 of 4.7x10(5) occlusion bodies (OBs)/ml in H. cunea, 5.6x10(6) OBs/ml in L. dispar, 7x10(7) OBs/ml in S. exigua, 1.5x10(9) OBs/ml in M. neustria and 7.7x10(9) OBs/ml in H. armigera. HycuGV was infectious to S. exigua and L. dispar, but only provided effective control in M. neustria and H. armigera at high dose rates. These findings demonstrate that HycuGV can be highly effective for control of S. exigua, L. dispar and H. cunea.

There are a large number of microorganisms in the gut of insects, which form a symbiotic relationship with the host during the long-term co-evolution process and have a significant impact on the host's nutrition, physiology, development, immunity, stress tolerance and other aspects. However, the composition of the gut microbes of Hyphantria cunea remains unclear. In order to investigate the difference and diversity of intestinal microbiota of H. cunea larvae feeding on different host plants, we used PacBio sequencing technology for the first time to sequence the 16S rRNA full-length gene of the intestinal microbiota of H. cunea. The species classification, β diversity and function of intestinal microflora of the 5th instar larvae of four species of H. cunea feeding on apricot, plum, redbud and Chinese ash were analysed. The results showed that a total of nine phyla and 65 genera were identified by PacBio sequencing, amongst which Firmicutes was the dominant phylum and Enterococcus was the dominant genus, with an average relative abundance of 59.29% and 52.16%, respectively. PERMANOVA analysis and cluster heat map showed that the intestinal microbiomes of H. cunea larvae, fed on different hosts, were significantly different. LEfSe analysis confirmed the effect of host diet on intestinal community structure and PICRUSt2 analysis showed that most of the predictive functions were closely related to material transport and synthetic, metabolic and cellular processes. The results of this study laid a foundation for revealing the interaction between the intestinal microorganisms of H. cunea and its hosts and provided ideas for exploring new green prevention and control strategies of H. cunea.

BACKGROUND Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance and is still being used for quarantine treatment of wood products and logs. Ethanedinitrile (C2 N2 ) is a new potential alternative fumigant and has been investigated as a timber fumigant because it has shown better penetration through timber and responds fast to insects and nematodes. This article reports on laboratory and commercial-scale trials with C2 N2 for important wood destroying pests namely Tomicus piniperda (Pine bark beetle) adults, Hyphantria cunea (Fall webworm) lavae, Reticulitermes speratus (Japanese Termite) adults and Cryphalus fulvus (Scolytidae) (Yellow minute bark beetle) which naturally infests pine logs. RESULTS Tomicus pi:niperda adults were more tolerance than H. cunea lavae and R. speratus adults with lethal concentration × time affecting 99% mortality (LCt99 ) values of 27.84, 7.49 and 3.30 g h m-3 , respectively. Ethanedinitrile shows exceptionally high toxicity to adult R. speratus which was almost 26 times more toxic than methyl bromide. The complete control of larvae and adults stages of C. fulvus was achieved at concentration × time (Ct) products from 89.6 g h m-3 in a 6-8 L fumigation chamber. Temperature-depending trials on C. fulvus were conducted with C2 N2 doses of 30 at 21 ± 6 and 40 g m-3 at 9 ± 3 and 2 ± 2 °C for 24 h. The Ct products of 182.2, 227.8 and 268.6 g h m-3 were obtained and C. fulvus was completely controlled at all tested temperatures. CONCLUSION Ethanedinitrile could offer quarantine treatment for wood products and logs for the control of wood destroying insect pests and termites.

Background The genus Beauveria is frequently used as a mycoinsecticides in many countries to control insect pests in agriculture, it is being very effective against the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Durry) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), which is a pest of trees in forests and orchards. Multiple abiotic factors during fungal growth are well known to influence mycelial growth and several physiological adaptations in the conidia produced. Results In this study, the pathogenicity of the Beauveria bassiana strains Bb10331 and Bb7725 against H. cunea was evaluated. Peptone potato dextrose agar (PPDA) was used as the medium and colony diameter, conidiation capacity, conidial germination rate were directly affected by relative humidity (RH), illumination, and the ambient pH. The LC50 values of Bb10331 and Bb7725 to H. cunea were 4.72 × 106 and 3.28 × 106 conidia·ml−1, respectively, after 120 h post treatments, while their corresponding LT50 values were 71.13 and 74.54 h at the concentration of 1 × 108 conidia/ml. The Bb7725 had a conidial germination rate than did Bb10331 at the same RH. The two strains grew faster under a dark:light (D:L) photoperiod of 12:12 h, and this particular light condition was also most suitable for their conidia production. The optimum pH for the growth and conidiation of the two strains was approximately 7.0. Conclusions Both strains are promising for pest control, possessing effective virulence against H. cunea, but this is slightly stronger in Bb7725 than Bb10331. The values of abiotic factors apt to promote the biological properties of each B. bassiana were different.

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs), HcCDA1 and HcCDA4, were identified from Hyphantria cunea. Conserved Domain Database for HcCDA1 identified a chitin-binding peritrophin-A domain (ChBD), a low-density lipoprotein receptor class A domain (LDLa), and a putative CDA-like catalytic domain (CDA), whereas HcCDA4 lacked the LDLa domain. HcCDA1 belonged to the insect group I CDA and HcCDA4 belonged to group III.

Background: The Hyphantria cunea is a worldwide quarantine pest. It has the characteristics of a wide variety of recipes, strong adaptability, wide transmission channels and serious harm, which seriously endanger the sustainable development of the ecological environment. At present, the control methods of the Hyphantria cunea are costly and inefficient. Objective: An intelligent target spraying robot based on machine vision is designed for cleansing Hyphantria cunea larva nets according to the characteristics of the net curtain and the background color. Methodology: The mobile mechanism of the spraying robot is based on a crawler type trolley and the three-dimensional movements are achieved by stepping motor and synchronous belt driving linear guide slider in the horizontal plane, and by the lead screw in the vertical direction. The on-board software controls the hand-eye actuator to scan the target trees with a specific trajectory, and performs image processing to identify the target so as to intelligently spray on the target. Results: The spraying robot can cope with the irregular distribution of Hyphantria cunea larva nets, and can realize the three-dimensional movement of the nozzle, and perform the progressive scanning to identify the larva nets, and the robot controls the nozzle to spray the medicine, thereby realizing the intelligent spraying of the target. Conclusion: Experiments show that accurate target spraying of the robot can be achieved, and the target coverage rate can reach up to 85% of the total larva nets, which greatly improves the spraying efficiency.

The results of monitoring the number and flight dynamics of butterflies of Agrotis segetum, A. exclamationis and Hyphantria cunea using a light trap type RO Agrobečej in Sombor and Čelarevo during the period from 2018 to 2020 are presented. Weather conditions during the research period were analyzed. Based on the results, a positive long-term forecast for 2021 of all listed species was announced. The first generation of caterpillars of all named species will be more numerous than last year. The need for control of first generation caterpillars of A. segetum and A. exclamationis on later sown maize varieties, as well as on peppers, tomatoes, melons and cabbages, which are sown in late May and early June, is anticipated. The caterpillars of the first generation of H. cunea will have to be controlled in plantations of walnuts, hazelnuts, plums, cherries, sour cherries, mulberries and on many ornamental plants in late May and early June. Short-term forecast and signals for the optimal time of suppression will be announced on the website www.agroupozorenje.rs.

The box tree moth (BTM), Cydalima perspectalis and the fall webworm (FWW), Hyphantria cunea are two invasive pests of forest trees that have been recorded from Hyracinan forests in north Iran for the first time in 2016 and 2002, respectively. In a search for tentative native entomopathogenic nematode species (EPNs) with potential biocontrol ability against lepidopteran pests of forest trees in north Iran, Oscheius myriophilus was isolated by soil-baiting method from forests of Amlash in the east of Gilan province. The Iranian isolate of this species is characterized by 870–1,247 μm long hermaphrodites having 17–20 μm long stoma, vulva at 45.5–53.1% of body length, tail 90–126 μm long, common males with 38–49 μm long spicules and 583–791 μm long dauer larvae. Compared to the type and other populations, no remarkable differences were observed for this population. The phylogenetic affinities of this isolate with other rhabditid nematodes were studied using partial sequences of small, and the D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU and D2-D3 LSU rDNA). This is the first record of the species from Iran. The pathogenicity of Iranian isolate of O. myriophilus was evaluated on the larvae of two important aforementioned forest trees pests, BTM and FWW under laboratory conditions. The results indicated that the suspension of 500 infective juveniles per ml (IJs/ml) of the nematode was the most effective treatment on fifth instar larvae of BTM and FWW, causing 100 and 95% mortality after 48 h, respectively. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) values of the nematode were 74.5, 152.7, 99.9, and 197.3 IJs/ml on fifth and fourth instar larvae of BTM, and fifth and fourth instar larvae of FWW, respectively, after 48 h at 25°C and 60% relative humidity. Together, present results corroborated the efficacy of the Iranian isolate of Oscheius myriophilus for biocontrolling of BTM and FWW in laboratory conditions.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and cobalt (Co) in different concentrations on the total consumption amount, pupal weight, pupal protein and lipid content, the development time of the last instar Hyphantria cunea. For this purpose, ten diets were prepared using 4% and 12% concentrations of each metal. A total of 11 diets were made, including one control diet. Chloroform was used to determine the pupal lipid amounts. Protein analysis was performed by semi-micro Kjeldahl method with Kjeltec Auto 1030 analyzer (Tecator, Sweden). ANOVA-Dunnet test was used for statistical analysis. With increasing iron and copper concentrations in the diet, the consumption amounts, pupal weights, pupal protein and pupal lipid amounts of the larvae decreased, while the development time was prolonged. Consumption amounts, pupal weights, pupal protein and pupal lipid amounts of the groups containing nickel and cobalt were found to be higher than the control group. It was determined that with increasing zinc concentration, consumption amounts, pupal weights, and pupal protein amounts of the larvae increased, but pupal lipid amounts decreased. In this study, it has been shown that heavy metals affect the physiological processes of H. cunea larvae.

Hyphantria cunea (Drury) is a destructive invasive pest species in China that uses type II sex pheromone components. To date, however, the binding mechanisms of its sex pheromone components to their respective pheromone-binding proteins (HcunPBPs 1/2/3) have not been explored. In the current study, all three HcunPBPs were expressed in the antennae of both sexes. The prokaryotic expression and ligand binding assays were employed to study the binding of the moth's four sex pheromone components, including two aldehydes and two epoxides, and 24 plant volatiles to the HcunPBPs. Our results showed that the abilities of these HcunPBPs to bind to the aldehydes were significantly different from binding to the epoxides. These three HcunPBPs also selectively bind to some of the plant volatiles tested. Our molecular docking results indicated that some crucial hydrophobic residues might play a role in the binding of HcunPBPs to their sex pheromone components. Three HcunPBPs have different selectivities for pheromone components with both major and minor structural differences. Our study provides a fundamental insight into the olfactory mechanism of moths at the molecular level, especially for moth species that use various type II pheromone components.

The fall webworm (FWW) Hyphantria cunea, native to North America, is a globally invasive pest of a wide range of forest and fruit trees. Spraying of pesticides is the primary method for the control of FWW. In this study, toxicity and feeding cessation of two potential pesticides against the FWW, chlorantraniliprole, and chromafenozide, were evaluated. Both pesticides were slow to affect FWW. For chlorantraniliprole, the highest mortality of third instar larvae occurred at 72 hours with an LC50 of 10.34 mg/L, while for chromafenozide, the highest mortality occurred at 72 hours with an LC50 value 74.0950 mg/L. Low concentrations of both pesticides led to larvae ceasing to feed after six hours (chlorantraniliprole) and 24 hours (chromafenozide). Both pesticides had persistent effects; thirty days after being applied at concentrations of 16, 26.67, and 35.56 mg/L to leaves, 93.33% of newly contacted larvae died after seven days. Our study showed that chlorantraniliprole and chromafenozide could be alternatively used against FWW and form a component of integrated control programs. The results provide information to guide the usage of chlorantraniliprole and chromafenozide in FWW control.

In this study, Bacillus thrungiensis aizawai Bonnefoi & de Barjac, 1963 (Florbac), different isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) kurstaki Berliner, 1915 (Biobit, Delfin, Rapax, Rebound) and spinosad (Spintor) were assessed for their efficacy against different instars of Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) under laboratory and field conditions in 2019 in Duzce Province, Turkey. Spinosad was the most effective bioinsecticide, followed by Bt aizawai and Bt kurstaki isolates against various instars of H. cunea. In the laboratory, at 96 hour post-treatment, spinosad caused 98% mortality in 2nd and 3rd instars, and 83% mortality in 4th and 5th instars; Bt aizawai caused 98% mortality in 2nd and 3rd instars and 43% mortality in 4th and 5th instars; and Bt kurstaki isolates caused 95% mortality in 2nd and 3rd instars and 51% mortality in 4th and 5th instars. The results from the field study showed similar trends. The older instars were less susceptible to all the tested bioinsecticides than the younger instars, which may be attributable to the phenomenon known as “maturation immunity”. Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki has already been recommended for management of this pest. Whereas the data indicated that spinosad and Bt aizawai could also be used as bioinsecticides for control H. cunea larvae.

Background The fall webworm Hyphantria cunea is an invasive and polyphagous defoliator pest that feeds on nearly any type of deciduous tree worldwide. The silk web of H. cunea aids its aggregating behavior, provides thermal regulation and is regarded as one of causes for its rapid spread. In addition, both chemosensory and detoxification genes are vital for host adaptation in insects. Results Here, a high-quality genome of H. cunea was obtained. Silk-web-related genes were identified from the genome, and successful silencing of the silk protein gene HcunFib-H resulted in a significant decrease in silk web shelter production. The CAFE analysis showed that some chemosensory and detoxification gene families, such as CSPs, CCEs, GSTs and UGTs, were expanded. A transcriptome analysis using the newly sequenced H. cunea genome showed that most chemosensory genes were specifically expressed in the antennae, while most detoxification genes were highly expressed during the feeding peak. Moreover, we found that many nutrient-related genes and one detoxification gene, HcunP450 (CYP306A1), were under significant positive selection, suggesting a crucial role of these genes in host adaptation in H. cunea. At the metagenomic level, several microbial communities in H. cunea gut and their metabolic pathways might be beneficial to H. cunea for nutrient metabolism and detoxification, and might also contribute to its host adaptation. Conclusions These findings explain the host and environmental adaptations of H. cunea at the genetic level and provide partial evidence for the cause of its rapid invasion and potential gene targets for innovative pest management strategies.

Chemical control is the major approach to handle the American Hyphantria cunea issue; however, it often causes chemical pollution and resource waste. How to precisely apply pesticide to reduce pollution and waste has been a difficult problem. The premise of accurate spraying of chemicals is to accurately determine the location of the spray target. In this paper, an algorithm based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to locate the screen of American Hyphantria cunea. Specifically, comparing the effect of multicolor space-grouping convolution with that of the same color space-grouping convolution, the better effect of different color space-grouping convolution is first proved. Then, RGB and YIQ are employed to identify American Hyphantria cunea screen. Moreover, a noncoincident sliding window method is proposed to divide the image into multiple candidate boxes to reduce the number of convolutions. That is, the probability of American Hyphantria cunea is determined by grouping convolution in each candidate box, and two thresholds (E and Q) are set. When the probability is higher than E, the candidate box is regarded as excellent; when the probability is lower than Q, the candidate box is regarded as unqualified; when the probability is in between, the candidate box is regarded as qualified. The unqualified candidate box is eliminated, and the qualified candidate box cannot exit the above steps until the number of extractions of the candidate box reaches the set value or there is no qualified candidate box. Finally, all the excellent candidate boxes are fused to obtain the final recognition result. Experiments show that the recognition rate of this method is higher than 96%, and the processing time of a single picture is less than 150 ms.

In nature, insects are constantly exposed to various environmental stressors. Heavy metals are one of the important factors of environmental pollution. Heavy metals can cause adverse effects on the growth rate and the survival of herbivores, as well as immune function. In addition to heavy metals, another factor that insects are exposed to in nature is entomopathogens. The cellular and the antioxidant enzyme responses of insects are major bioindicators against the stressors. In this study, the differences in the hemocyte counts and the antioxidant enzyme activities of Hyphantria cunea larvae exposed to the different amounts of zinc, copper, and nickel and Bacillus thuringiensis infection were determined. With metal exposure, the superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities increased, but the hemocyte counts decreased. Additionally, both the hemocyte counts and the enzyme activities increased with Bacillus thuringiensis infection. Although heavy metal exposure decreased the hemocyte counts and increased the antioxidant enzyme activities, the increase in the hemocyte counts with bacterial infection and the increased antioxidant enzyme activities demonstrated that the response to infection in the insect was stronger and the synergistic effect was occurred. As a result of this study, we found that the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase and the hemocyte counts varied in response to both metal exposure and bacterial infection.

Neuropeptides function as central neuromodulators and circulating hormones that modulate insect behavior and physiology. Leucokinin (LK) is an intercellular signaling molecule that mediates many physiological and behavioral processes. However, the functions of LK associated with environmental stress and feeding behavior in the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is little known. Our primary objective is to understand the function of LK and LK receptor (LKR) neuroendocrine system in H. cunea. In the present study, the results showed that LK/LKR are expressed at different developmental stages and in various tissues of H. cunea. A candidate receptor–ligand pairing for LK was identified in the larval transcriptome of H. cunea. In a heterologous expression system, the calcium assay was used to demonstrate that LKR is activated by HcLKs in a dose-dependent manner, with 50% effective concentration (EC50) values of 8.44–90.44nM. Knockdown of HcLK and HcLKR by microinjecting target-specific dsRNA leads to several effects in H. cunea, including feeding promotion, increase in resistance to desiccation and starvation stress, and regulation of water homeostasis. The transcript levels of HILP2 (except in the LK knockdown group), HILP5, and HILP8 increased, whereas those of HILP3, HILP4, and HILP6 decreased; HILP1, HILP2 (in the LK knockdown group), and HILP7 gene expression was not influenced after LK and LKR knockdown. Variations in mRNA expression levels in insulin-like peptide genes in the knockdown larvae suggest an essential role of these genes in survival in H. cunea. To our knowledge, the present study is the first comprehensive study of LK and LKR – from gene to behavior – in H. cunea.

Brachymeria lasus Walker is a solitary endoparasitoid that attacks the pupae of a wide range of lepidopteran hosts, including an important invasive species, the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea Drury). We studied the relationship between temperature and development of B. lasus from egg to adult hatching. The results show a decrease in parasitoid development time from 34.4 days at 18 °C to 10.6 days at 32 °C. The minimum threshold temperature of B. lasus was 13.2 °C ± 1.7 °C, and the effective accumulated temperature was 210.3 ± 28.7 degree days. These results provide a basis for optimizing the production of this parasitoid. In addition, the effects of host size on offspring performance of B. lasus were investigated under laboratory conditions. Offspring longevity, size, and percentage of females were positively correlated with host size. Female offspring are larger and live longer than males. Furthermore, this research showed that parasitoid adults successfully emerged from approximately 27.9% of pupae. However, eclosion or hatching of H. cunea decreased dramatically, which may be due to damage caused by female B. lasus when testing hosts with their ovipositors or by feeding on them. The results suggest that B. lasus has the potential to become an efficient natural enemy for controlling H. cunea.

Background The gene doublesex (dsx) plays pivotal roles in sex determination and controls sexually dimorphic development in certain insects. Importantly, it also displays a potential candidate target for pest management due to its sex-specific splicing. Therefore, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene disruption to investigate the function of dsx in Hyphantria cunea, an invasive forest pest. Result In the present study, we identified the dsx gene from H. cunea which showed a sex-biased expression pattern that was different from other lepidopteran insects. Referring to sex-specific functional analyses in Bombyx mori, we performed a site-specific knockout of the Hcdsx gene by using a CRISPR/Cas9 system, which induced severe abnormalities in external genitalia and some incomplete sex reversal phenotypes, which in turn led to reduced sex-specific fecundity. An alternative splicing pattern of Hcdsx was altered by CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutation, and alterations in splicing affected expression of downstream genes encoding pheromone binding protein 1, vg1 and vg2 (encoding vitellogenin), which contributed to the sex-specific sterility phenotypes in the Hcdsx mutants. Conclusion The Hcdsx gene plays important roles in sexual differentiation in H. cunea. Disruption of Hcdsx induced sex-specific sterility, demonstrating a potential application in control of this pest. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chouioia cunea (Yang) is an endoparasitic wasp which parasitizes pupae and thus plays an important role in the biological control of the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea Drury), an important quarantine pest in the entire world and a major invasive pest in China. For the purposes of investigating which proteins are involved in the response of C. cunea to 1-Docecene, one of the chemical compounds of pupae of H. cunea with a significant attracting action to mated female C. cunea, 11.5 Gb transcriptome data was sequenced on the PacBio RS II platform from 1-day old C. cunea adults to generate a reference assembly. Afterwards, 46.88 Gb of clean RNA-Seq data were obtained to assess the transcriptional response of these insects before and after the stimulation with 1-Docecene. After removing redundancy using CD-HIT, a sequence structure analysis predicted 29,105 complete coding sequence (CDS) regions, 51,458 single-sequence repeats (SSRs), and 2,375 long non-coding RNAs. Based on the early transcriptome sequencing in our laboratory, we revealed some new sequences corresponding to chemosensory genes such as odorant binding proteins (OBPs), odorant receptor (OR), gustatory receptors(GRs). Results of quantitative real-time PCR experiments revealed that CcOBP7, CcOBP18, CcCSP4, CcOR2, and CcGR18 were up-regulated after 1-Dodecene stimulation. In addition, the expression of 31 genes, including 1 gene related to phospholipid biosynthesis and 2 genes related to transmembrane transport were up-regulated after 1-Dodecene stimulation; meanwhile, the expression of 22 genes, including 5 genes related to protein phosphorylation and protein serine/threonine kinase activity were significantly down-regulated after 1-Dodecene stimulation. These results suggest that the attraction of adult C. cunea to 1-dodecane is associated with the transmembrane signal transduction and dephosphorylation of some proteins. Our findings will provide useful targets for further studies on the molecular mechanism of host recognition in C. cunea.

In China, the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, causes enormous losses. The potential of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) to control pest insects has been demonstrated in the laboratory and the field. In this study, we isolated and identified EPF from the surfaces of H. cunea larvae cadavers, and we investigated their efficacy against fall webworm larvae under bioassay conditions in the laboratory. Isaria javanica BE01 conidial suspensions with concentrations between 1 × 104 and 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 were shown to have marked effects on the larval mortality (the 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar larvae) over a 15 days period. However, the effect of the instar on the mortality was not always significant, except during the late stages (10–14 days) at low concentrations (1 × 104–1 × 106 conidia ml−1) or the early stages (1–5 days) at high concentrations (1 × 107–1 × 108 conidia ml−1). Otherwise, the mortality of the 3rd and 4th instar larvae exceeded 85% at 1 × 108 conidia ml−1. The present study suggests that I. javanica BE01 is a potential biological control agent of H. cunea.

Hyphantria cunea Drury is a polyphagous quarantine pest, which is not evolutionarily tied to the territory of Ukraine. We have analyzed data from literary sources on the geographical spreading of Hyphantria cunea Drury, indicated the current area of the pest and noticed factors that influence the acclimatization of a pest. The motherland of Hyphantria cunea Drury is North America; in 1770, an entomologist Druri first described this species. The first indications of the harmfulness of Hyphantria cunea Drury are noted in the USA in 1899 and on the European continent Hyphantria cunea Drury was found near the city of Budapest (Hungary) on the island of Chepel in August 1940. By 1948, the pest had spread throughout Hungary and began to occupy the tree plantations of neighbouring countries, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Austria. At present, the pest is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America. In Europe Hyphantria cunea Drury was found in countries such as: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Moldova, Germany, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine, France, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. In 1945 Hyphantria cunea Drury was found in Japan, in the parks of Tokyo. In 1979 – in China in Liaoning Province and in Southern Korea it was first described in 1958. In 2003, small foci of caterpillars of Hyphantria cunea Drury were found in Wellington (New Zealand). In Russia, the first foci of mass reproduction of Hyphantria cunea Drury were discovered in the forests of Krasnodar Krai in Krasnodar and Abinsk forest enterprises in 1976 on an area of 270 hectares. In Ukraine, the first foci of Hyphantria cunea Drury were found in Transcarpathia in 1952, in June, virtually all over the lowlands of the region. In the Northeastern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, in Sumy region in particular, Hyphantria cunea Drury was first registered in 2010. In Kharkiv region Hyphantria cunea Drury was discovered at the beginning of 80s of XX century. This article highlights the peculiarities of spreading of Hyphantria cunea Drury and its harmfulness. We have also established the ways of penetration and the current area of pest spreading in Ukraine and in the world. We have carried out the analysis of spreading data of the regulated pest in the territory of Ukraine and in the world, including in the territory of Kharkiv region and the factors, which influence the pest acclimatization have been noted. Key words: Fall webworm; Hyphantria cunea Drury; Areal; Distribution area

The results of study of dynamics of quantity of the American white butterfly are reflected in the article, taking into account chronology of population density of districts of area. It is indicated on actuality of problematiki of adjusting of this dangerous quarantine wrecker, taking into account his harmfulness and wide specialization. The results of statistical account of quantity of wrecker are generalized as a quarantine object in the cut of districts of the Winnitca area. The division of character of settling of territory a wrecker is conducted in the variants of private land-tenure and different economies. On the basis of own researches the feed natural base of wrecker is appraised at the level of region and conclusions are done about the prospects of growth of his quantity in default of quarantine measures. The stages of development of wrecker are in detail analysed and confronted with the proper stages characteristic in general under conditions of the right-bank Forest-steppe of Ukraine. The conclusions about the general aspects of prevalence of wrecker and separate factors of optimization of defence of the fruit planting at the level of area awas done.

Plastid transformation technology has several attractive features compared with traditional nuclear transformation technology. However, only a handful of species are able to be successfully transformed. Here, we report an efficient and stable plastid transformation protocol for poplar, an economically important tree species grown worldwide. We transformed the Bacillus thuringiensis cry1C gene into the poplar plastid genome, and homoplasmic transplastomic poplar was obtained after two to three rounds of regeneration under antibiotic selection for 7–12 months. The transplastomic poplar expressing Cry1C insecticidal protein showed the highest accumulation level in young leaves, which reached up to 20.7 μg g-1 fresh weight, and comparatively low levels in mature and old leaves, and hardly detectable levels in non-green tissues, such as phloem, xylem and roots. Transplastomic poplar showed high toxicity to Hyphantria cunea and Lymantria dispar, two notorious forest pests worldwide, without affecting plant growth. These results are the first successful examples of insect-resistant poplar generation by plastid genome engineering and provide a new avenue for future genetic improvement of poplar plants.

Insect-derived serine protease inhibitors (serpins) exhibit multiple inhibitory activities. Todate some functional roles for serpins in Hyphantria cunea Drury have been identified. Here, new functional features of the H. cunea serine protease inhibitor (dHC-serpin) were characterized. In this study, the cDNA encoding serpin was amplified from H. cunea (dHC) pupa fat body total RNA using RT-PCR. The full-length dHC-serpin cDNA encoded a protein of 440 amino acids with a predicted 19-amino acid signal peptide and a 421-amino acid functional domain. The functional domain was cloned into a pSUMO vector and transformed into Escherichia coli, resulting in the production of a pSUMO-dHC-serpin fusion protein. The soluble form of this protein was then purified by Ni-IDA chromatography. The SUMO-dHC-serpin fusion protein was then cleaved using a SUMO protease and purified again by Ni-IDA chromatography. dHC-serpin did not inhibit trypsin, elastase, proteinase K or cathepsin B, but strongly inhibited papain. The inhibitor retained its inhibitory activity over a broad range of pH (pH 2–12), temperature (20–50 °C), and DTT concentration (up to 100 mM). A complete loss of inhibitory activity was observed at pH 13 and 70 °C. Serpins generally serve as inhibitors that use a mobile reactive center loop (RCL) as bait to trap protease targets. dHC-serpin, like others serpins, binds papain using the RCL structure.

In moth species that utilize alkenyl sex pheromones, the epoxidation of alkenes confers further diversity on the chemical structures of pheromone components. Hc_epo1 (CYP341B14), the first pheromone gland (PG)-specific epoxidase identified from the fall webworm Hyphantria cunea (Erebidae), specifically epoxidizes the Z9 double bond in the triene precursor, (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H). In the present study, we identified a novel PG-specific epoxidase, As_epo1, from the Japanese giant looper Ascotis selenaria (Geometridae), which secretes cis-3,4-epoxy-(6Z,9Z)-6,9-nonadecadiene (epo3,Z6,Z9-19:H) as the main sex pheromone component. A functional assay using the Sf9 insect cell line-baculovirus expression system showed that As_epo1 specifically epoxidizes the Z3 double bond in the pheromone precursor triene, (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H). As_epo1 also Z3-specifically epoxidized a triene with a longer carbon chain, Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H, which does not occur in this species. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that As_epo1 belonged to the CYP340 family, not the CYP341 family to which Hc_epo1 belongs. These results suggest that moth PG-specific epoxidases with divergent regio-specificities have evolved independently.

Epoxidation of alkenes derived from essential fatty acids is a key step in the biosynthesis of sex pheromones in moth species that utilize alkenyl sex pheromones. The position of the epoxy ring in the pheromone molecule differs depending on the species, thereby conferring diversities on sex pheromones. To date, only one pheromone gland (PG)-specific epoxidase, Hc_epo1 (CYP341B14), has been reported. Hc_epo1, which was identified from an arctiid moth Hyphantria cunea, catalyzes the epoxidation of a double bond at position 9 of the triene, Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H. In the present study, we investigated the PG-specific epoxidase from another arctiid, the mulberry tiger moth Lemyra imparilis, in order to verify whether cytochrome P450 in the CYP341B subfamily, to which Hc_epo1 belongs to, is responsible for the epoxidation of pheromone precursors at position 9 in moths other than H. cunea. A fragment of the Hc_epo1 homolog was amplified from cDNA prepared from the PG of L. imparilis by PCR with degenerate primers. The deduced amino acid sequence of the subsequently cloned homolog, Li_epo1, showed 88.5% identity to Hc_epo1. A functional assay using the Sf9 insect cell line-baculovirus expression system showed that Li_epo1 exhibited epoxidase activity with high selectivity to the double bond at position 9 of two trienes, Z3,Z6,Z9-21:H and Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H, precursors of epoxy diene sex pheromone components in L. imparilis.

Populus canadensis Moench forests established in Saemangeum-reclaimed land have been invaded by Hyphantria cunea Drury, causing defoliation and stunted growth. This study investigated the biocontrol potential of cuticle degrading chitinase and protease secreted by Lysobacter antibioticus HS124 against H. cunea larvae. In addition, L. antibioticus HS124 was examined for indole-3-acetic acid phytohormone production for plant growth promotion. To determine the larvicidal activity in the laboratory experiments, crude enzymes, bacteria culture, CY medium, and water (control) were sprayed on the larvae reared on natural diet in insect rearing dishes. Treatment with crude enzymes and bacteria culture caused 76.7% and 66.7% larvae mortality, respectively. The larvae cuticle, mainly composed of chitin and proteins, was degraded by cuticle-degrading enzymes, chitinase, and protease in both the bacteria culture and crude enzyme treatments, causing swelling and disintegration of the cuticle. Field application of the bacteria culture was achieved by vehicle-mounted sprayer. Bacterial treatment caused morphological damage on the larvae cuticles and subsequent mortality. Foliar application of the bacteria culture reduced tree defoliation by H. cunea and enhanced growth compared to the control. Especially, L. antibioticus HS124 produced auxins, and increased growth of poplar trees.

As a typical glycolytic inhibitor, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) has been extensively studied in cancer therapy in recent decades. However, few studies focused on 3-BrPA in regulating the growth and development of insects, and the relationship and regulatory mechanism between glycolysis and chitin biosynthesis remain largely unknown. The Hyphantria cunea, named fall webworm, is a notorious defoliator, which caused a huge economic loss to agriculture and forestry. Here, we investigated the effects of 3-BrPA on the growth and development, glycolysis, carbohydrate homeostasis, as well as chitin synthesis in H. cunea larvae. To elucidate the action mechanism of 3-BrPA on H. cunea will provide a new insight for the control of this pest. The results showed that 3-BrPA dramatically restrained the growth and development of H. cunea larvae and resulted in larval lethality. Meanwhile, we confirmed that 3-BrPA caused a significant decrease in carbohydrate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), pyruvic acid (PA), and triglyceride (TG) levels by inhibiting glycolysis in H. cunea larvae. Further studies indicated that 3-BrPA significantly affected the activities of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and trehalase, as well as expressions of the genes related to glycolysis, resulting in carbohydrate homeostasis disorder. Moreover, it was found that 3-BrPA enhanced 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling by upregulating HcCYP306A1 and HcCYP314A1, two critical genes in 20E synthesis pathway, and accelerated chitin synthesis by upregulating transcriptional levels of genes in the chitin synthesis pathway in H. cunea larvae. Taken together, our findings provide a novel insight into the mechanism of glycolytic inhibitor in regulating the growth and development of insects, and lay a foundation for the potential application of glycolytic inhibitors in pest control as well.

The effects of copper, nickel, and zinc and the potent antioxidant gallic acid on the antioxidant enzyme activities of Hyphantria cunea larvae infected with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki have been identified in this study. With metal exposure, all the enzyme activities have increased. Antagonistic effects were observed in the combination of gallic acid with all three metals on the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. In glutathione peroxidase activity, an antagonistic effect was observed in gallic acid plus nickel group, while there was a synergistic effect for gallic acid plus zinc and gallic acid plus copper. Activities of these enzymes in larvae exposed only to the metals increased in the infected groups; while exposure to gallic acid alone elicited a decrease. As a consequence, it was found that enzyme activities were affected by both metals and gallic acid and infection.

Chitinases, which are crucial enzymes required for chitin degradation and reconstruction, are often selectively considered to be effective molecular targets for pest control due to their critical roles in insect development. Although the Hyphantria cunea chitinase gene has been reported previously, its sequence characteristics, gene function, and feasibility as a potential target for pest management were absent. In the present study, we characterized the H. cunea chitinase gene and designated it HcCht5. Phylogenic and domain structure analysis suggested that HcCht5 contained the typical chitinase features and was clustered into chitinase group I. Tissue-specific and developmental expression pattern analysis with Real-Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that HcCht5 was mainly expressed in the integument tissues and that the transcript levels peaked during molting. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of HcCht5 caused 33.3% (2 ug) and 66.7% (4 ug) mortality rates after double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injection. Importantly, the interference efficiency of HcCht5 depended on the injection time of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), as the pre-molting treatment achieved molt arrest more effectively. In addition, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of RNAi samples demonstrated silencing of the down-regulated HcCht5 genes related to chitin metabolism and molting hormone signaling, as well as genes related to detoxification metabolism. Our results indicate the essential role of HcCht5 in H. cunea development and detail the involvement of its gene function in the larval molting process.

Since its invasion into China in 1979, the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury, has spread from Dandong city (about 40°N) in Liaoning Province to Nanjing city (about 32°N) in Jiangsu Province, and to other areas. Owing to geographic and latitudinal gradients in temperature, H. cunea will encounter temperature changes during the spreading process. In this study, we verified the hypothesis that autumn warming accelerates the energy consumption of H. cunea diapause pupae. We found that, after autumn warming, the body size and mass of diapause pupae decreased significantly and raised constant temperature accelerated carbohydrate and protein consumption in female pupae, while fluctuating temperature changes had a more pronounced effect on carbohydrate and protein consumption in male pupae. Contrary to expectations, the lipid content of diapause pupae did not decrease after autumn warming, and even increased significantly. We conclude that warming in autumn accelerates energy consumption by diapause pupae, and the autumn energy consumption of diapause pupae is dominated by carbohydrates, supplemented by protein when carbohydrates are overconsumed, while lipid use is dominated by anabolic metabolism during autumn.

Increasing areas of artificial afforestation and poplar monoculture in China have led to serious problems with insect pests. The development of genetic engineering technology, such as transgenic modification with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes, provides novel solutions to the pest problem. We generated a Bt-Cry1Ah1 gene incorporating codon optimization and transferred it into Populus deltoides &times, P. euramericana cv &ldquo, Nanlin895&rdquo, using an Agrobacterium-mediated method. The resulting Bt-Cry1Ah1 transgenic poplars were planted in the field with permission from the State Forestry Administration in 2017. Field and laboratory studies were conducted in Jiangsu, China, to investigate the effects of these transgenic poplars expressing the Cry1Ah1 protein on target and non-target pests and their parasitic natural enemy. Target pests included Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae), Micromelalopha troglodyta (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), and Clostera anachoreta (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae). Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) served as the non-target pest. Laboratory trials showed that the six transgenic poplar lines exhibited resistance against the target insects. The corrected mortality rates of the target pest larvae fed leaves from the six lines were as high as 87.0%, significantly higher than that of the control. However, the corrected mortality rate of the non-target pest larvae was markedly lower and did not differ significantly from that of the control. Field experiments showed that transgenic poplar exhibited resistance against H. cunea and M. troglodyta. Field mortality rates were slightly higher than laboratory mortality rates. In addition, we investigated Chouioia cunea (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) as a parasitoid of H. cunea pupae that had been fed transgenic poplar leaves. The emergence time, parasitism rate, and abundance of C. cunea did not differ significantly from those of the control. Therefore, Bt-Cry1Ah1 transgenic poplar can be used to effectively control damage by target insect pests without negatively affecting non-target insects and parasitoids.

Four exogenous genes, Cry3A, Cry1Ac, mtlD, and BADH, were inserted into the p1870 vector to obtain multigenic transgenic Populus nigra L. with improved insect resistance and salt tolerance. During vector construction, different promoters were used for each gene, the AtADH 5′-UTR enhancer was added between the Cry1Ac promoter and the target gene, and the matrix attachment region (MAR, GenBank: U67919.1) structure was added at both ends of the vector. It was then successfully transferred into the genome of European black poplar by Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disk transformation, and a total of 28 transgenic lines were obtained by kanamycin screening. Five events with the highest insect resistance were selected based on preliminary tests: nos. 1, 7, 9, 12, and 17. PCR, real-time PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to detect the expression of exogenous genes and to analyze the Bt protein toxin levels in transgenic lines from June to October. PCR results showed that all four genes were successfully introduced into the five selected lines. Fluorescence quantitative PCR showed no significant differences in the transcript abundance of the four exogenous genes between different lines. A Bt protein toxin assay showed that the Cry3A protein toxin content was significantly higher than the Cry1Ac protein toxin content by approximately three orders of magnitude. Levels of the two toxins were negatively correlated. Over the course of the growing season, Cry1Ac content raised and varied between 0.46 and 18.41 ng·g−1. Cry3A content decreased over the same time period and varied between 2642.75 and 15775.22 ng·g−1. Indoor insect feeding assay showed that the transgenic lines had high insect resistance, with mortality rates of 1–2-year-old Hyphantria cunea larvae reaching more than 80%, and those of Plagiodera versicolora larvae and nymphs reaching 100%. No. 17 and no. 12 lines had better insect resistance to Lepidoptera and Coleoptera pests. There was no clear improvement in salt tolerance of the transgenic lines, but comprehensive evaluation of 11 salt tolerance indicators showed that lines no. 17 and no. 7 had certain degrees of salt tolerance.

Host-plant volatiles play vital roles for insects to locate foraging, mating, and oviposition sites in the environment. As one of the devastating invasive forestry pests, Hyphantria cunea causes a great annual loss in China, and understanding its chemical ecology is an important task. The current research was done in terms of chemical analysis, electrophysiology, and behavioral assays on H. cunea to assess its olfactory reception toward host-plant volatiles. A screen of possible common host volatiles was done, targeting on five favored hosts of H. cunea, harvesting six potential bioactive compounds from a total of 78 odorant components. Six types of antennal sensilla were investigated on their distributions on the antennae, and sexual dimorphism was described. H. cunea showed responses to all selected host-related volatiles in electroantennogram tests, and linalyl butyrate elicited the strongest responses. Furthermore, mating rates in adult pairs that are exposed to dibutyl phthalate and phytol have been significantly increased, while oviposition rates and female fecundity were not influenced. The results of the current study provide initial evidence showing that universal host-derived volatile cues are essential for H. cunea moth in terms of mating, which can also provide insights into the development of botanical attractants.

Monitoring from 2014 have revealed a new focus of the fall webworm in Kharkiv district of Kharkiv region, in 1.7 km segment forest shelter belt of Acer negundo L. In four years (2014—2017) the number of the nests of fall webworm increased more than 60 times. The data on pest morphological characteristics and phenology have been provided. It was found that the weather conditions of 2016 contributed to the accelerated development of the Fall which Pasted 47 and 30 days in the finst and second generation respectively.

Background Hyphantria cunea is a destructive forest pest. To utilise H. cunea nucleopolyhedrovirus (HcNPV) for biological control, understanding insect-virus interactions is essential. Results Four cDNA libraries were constructed from H. cunea larvae (two HcNPV-infected and two uninfected groups) and 76 004 expressed genes were obtained by next-generation sequencing. Compared with controls, 272 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in infected groups, including 162 up-regulated and 110 down-regulated genes. Transcription levels of 20 random DEGs were consistent with the Solexa expression profiles obtained by quantitative real-time PCR. DEGs associated with innate immunity were grouped into several categories, including pattern recognition proteins, heat-shock proteins, UDP-glycosyltransferases, cytochrome P450s, antimicrobial peptides and hormonal signalling proteins. Interestingly, up-regulated host genes included farnesoic acid O-methyltransferase, two juvenile hormone (JH) binding proteins, and a circadian clock-controlled protein related to JH regulation. Pathway enrichment analysis indicates that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways, key candidate genes and important biological pathways may be associated with molecular modification in H. cunea larvae in response to virus stress. Conclusion These findings provide insight for future research on the molecular mechanisms of HcNPV invasion and anti-HcNPV mechanisms in H. cunea. A better understanding of gene regulation following HcNPV invasion could help to develop the virus as a bio-insecticide. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

The spatial analysis of distribution and quantity of Hyphantria cunea Drury, 1973 across Ukraine since 1952 till 2016 regarding the values of annual absolute temperatures of ground air is performed using the Gis-technologies. The long-term pest dissemination data (Annual reports…, 1951–1985; Surveys of the distribution of quarantine pests ..., 1986–2017) and meteorological information (Meteorological Yearbooks of air temperature the surface layer of the atmosphere in Ukraine for the period 1951-2016; Branch State of the Hydrometeorological Service at the Central Geophysical Observatory of the Ministry for Emergencies) were used in the present research. The values of boundary negative temperatures of winter diapause of Hyphantria cunea, that unable the development of species’ subsequent generation, are received. Data analyses suggests almost complete elimination of winter diapausing individuals of White American Butterfly (especially pupae) under the air temperature of −32°С. Because of arising questions on the time of action of absolute minimal air temperatures, it is necessary to ascertain the boundary negative temperatures of winter diapause for White American Butterfly. It is also necessary to perform the more detailed research of a corresponding biological material with application to the freezing technics, giving temperature up to −50°С, with the subsequent analysis of the received results by the punched-analysis.

A broad survey of the fall webworm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) populations in agricultural and forested areas in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey led to the detection of a granulovirus (G...

The fall‐webworm (FWW), Hyphantria cunea, is a highly polyphagous insect pest that is native to North America and distributed in different countries around the world. To manage this insect pest, various control methods have been independently evaluated in the invaded areas. Some of the control methods have been limited to the laboratory and need further study to verify their effectiveness in the field. On the other hand, currently, integrated pest management (IPM) has become a promising ecofriendly insect pest management option to reduce the adverse effect of insecticides on the environment. The development of an IPM for an insect pest must combine different management options in a compatible and applicable manner. In the native areas of the insect pests, there are some recommended management options. However, to date, there is no IPM for the management of the FWW in the newly invaded areas. Therefore, to develop an IPM for this insect pest, compilation of effective management option information is the first step. Thus, believing in the contribution of an IPM to the established management strategies, the chemical, biological, natural enemy, sex pheromone, and molecular studies regarding this insect were reviewed and potential future research areas were delineated in this review study. Therefore, using the currently existing management options, IPM development for this insect pest should be the subject of future research in the newly invaded areas.

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are enzymes that catalyze the conversion of chitin into chitosan, thereby influence the mechanical and permeability properties of structures such as the cuticle and peritrophic matrices. The full length cDNAs of chitin deacetylase2 (CDA2) genes from Hyphantria cunea were fully cloned by PCR amplification. Two cDNA sequences of HcCDA2 were searched from transcriptome of H. cunea and named as HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b. The deduced protein sequences showed that HaCDA2a and HaCDA2b are synthesized as preproteins of 524 and 518 amino acid residues with an 18-amino acid signal peptide, respectively. HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b contained a chitin-binding domain (ChBD), a low-density lipoprotein receptor class A domain (LDLa) and a polysaccharide deacetylase-like catalytic domain (CDA). Gene expression analyses results showed that HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b were both expressed at the head, integument, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules and fat body, as well as the 1st to 5th days of fifth instar larvae. Western blot analyses revealed that HcCDA2 protein was highly abundant in the head and integument, and the developmental expression result in the fifth instars showed that HcCDA2 was highly present at the first two days. Besides, RT-PCR results showed that HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b were both expressed in integument and head, whether in molting stage or feeding stage. No visiable phenotypic changes were observed after injection of dsHcCDA2b, while lethal phenotypes of cuticle shedding failure and high mortality were resulted from injection of dsHcCDA2a. The silence of HcCDA2a leads to the ecdysis failure and death of H. cunea. These results suggest that HcCDA2 plays an important role during insect development, and provide new candidate targets and basis for developing environment-friendly pesticides.

Background The international invasive and quarantined defoliating insect Hyphantria cunea Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) causes huge ecological and economic losses in the world. Furthermore, future climate change may alter the distribution of H. cunea and aggravate the damage. In the present study, we used CLIMEX to project the potential global distribution of H. cunea according to both historical climate data (1961-1990) and future climate warming estimates (2011-2100) to define the impact of climate change. Results Under the historical climate scenario, we found that H. cunea can survive on every continent, and temperature is the main factor that limits its establishment. With climate change, suitability will increase in middle and high latitude regions, while decrease in the low latitude regions. Moreover, tropic regions will be the most sensitive to climate change impacts for the pest to survive. The impacts of climate change will also increase over time, whether they be positive impacts or negative impacts. Conclusion The projected potential distributions provide a theoretical basis for quarantine and control strategies for the management of this pest in each country. Furthermore, these results provide substantial guidance for studies of the effects of climate change on other major forest pests. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.