Egg laying patterns and rate of hatching of pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis& Schiffermüller, 1775) / Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni (Tams, 1924) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) complex

In this study, the structure of egg batches and correspondingly the number of egg batches of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis& Schiffermüller, 1775) / Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni (Tams, 1924) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) were evaluated according to elevation steps and their place in the tree. Furthermore, the rate of hatching and egg laying patterns of the bug were examined. 938 egg batches of this bug in 31 different pine forests of Turkey were collected. The approximate number of eggs per batch is 194,7 and the rate of hatching is 62.2%. The number of eggs in the inferior, middle and upper elevation steps is respectively 183,7, 197,8 and 206,9 and the rate of hatching is 67%, 63,2% and 67,5%. Egg laying patterns in eleven different areas were analysed according to inferior, middle and upper parts of the tree. The approximate number of eggs in the batches collected from inferior, middle and upper parts of the tree is on average per batch 185,8, 167,0 and 201,7. The differences in the egg batches of CKB were compared according to their height and the position of them in the tree and to the cities the batches were collected. Moreover, it was tested whether there is a difference in the approximate number of egg batches collected from all the areas according to two different elevation steps. It was also tested the differences between the number of eggs obtained from Calabrian pine and Austrian pine trees by counting and the number of eggs obtained from the used model. A meaningful correlation was found between the number of transvestic egg number and the diameter of batches and between the length of scaleless batches and the number of egg rows. No relationships between the length of pine needle and egg batches were found.