Features of the biology of the horse chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić, 1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in the Donbass

   In the process of studying the biology of the horse-chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić, 1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in 2020 in the Donbass, the development of the species in three generations was recorded. The fourth facultative generation, observed at the initial stages of invasion, disappeared in the process of adaptation of the species to local climatic conditions. As an adaptive element, the species has developed a mechanism of prolonged preparation for wintering, which is expressed in the departure of some pupae into diapause already in the first and second generations. The number of pupae leaving for wintering in summer generations did not depend on the population density of the leaf blade. Cleaning fallen leaves in the autumn was not an effective method to reduce the number of leafminer. Intensive watering of trees contributes to the preservation of a larger area of green mass and as a result an increase in the number of moths in the second half of the growing season. The main lethal factors limiting the number of leafminer were the weather conditions in winter, leading to the mass death of hibernating larvae and the impact of parasitoids. The mortality rate in the overwintering generation was 84.5 %, whereas the mortality rates in the first and second generations were 31 % and 21 %, respectively. The parasitoid complex was represented by 8 species of ecto- and endoparasitic Hymenoptera from the family Eulophidae. Two species dominated in frequency of occurrence: Pediobius saulius and Minotetrastichus frontalis. The maximum level of parasitic infestation fell on the first generation of leafminer and amounted to 30 %. The total parasitic load resulted in the death of 24 % of larvae and pupae, which shows a significant role of parasites in the regulation of leafminer abundance.

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