Specialists of the Laboratory of Quarantine Phytosanitary Examinations and Surveys of the Omsk Reference Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor (member of Omsky Biocluster) found 416 imagos of the Siberian Silkworm in Tarsky district of Omsk region.
The laboratory staff examined more than 400 pheromone traps for silkworms installed in Tarsky district on an area of 80,000 hectares. Such studies are conducted to determine the quarantine phytosanitary condition of the facilities and to identify the presence of a quarantine pest of forests. As a result of entomological examinations, the presence of a quarantine species 'Siberian Silkworm' in the amount of 416 imagos was revealed. The information was transferred by specialists of the Omsk Reference Center to the Department of Plant Quarantine, Quality and Safety of Grain and Seed Supervision of the Rosselkhoznadzor Administration. For comparison, employees of the Omsk Reference Center in 2017 in Tarsky region on an area of 48,000 hectares were installed 280 pheromone traps, in which 73 Siberian Silkworm imagos were subsequently found.
Siberian Silkworm is a dangerous pest, it destroys coniferous trees. Silkworms cause the greatest damage to cedar, fir, larch, less - pine and spruce. Needles are not eaten by butterflies, but by caterpillars of Siberian Silkworm - they destroy it entirely, and in case of lack of food they eat shoots and young cones. Mass reproduction of the silkworm leads to a burst of reproduction of secondary pests (bark beetles etc.). Siberian Silkworm is present in a healthy forest, but in limited quantities. Mass reproduction of the Silkworm can be triggered by drought. Consequence of reproduction can be an ecological catastrophe. When a drought occurs, the caterpillar can develop over a year, rather than two years, as usual. The method of preventing silkworm propagation is to take into account the number of pests by means of pheromone traps or by counting caterpillars in tree crowns. Good results are provided by the preventive treatment of the forest with special preparations in the summer.
