Researcher(s)
- Digby Roberts, , University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Douglas Tallamy, ENWC, University of Delaware
Abstract
Commercial pest control services utilize ultra-low-volume (ULV) spraying of permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, to control mosquito populations. There is evidence that Permethrin is highly toxic to non-target arthropods, including honeybees and moths. Moths are herbivorous and promote the transfer of energy from plants to higher trophic levels, making their population health crucial to ecosystem stability. To assess the impact of ULV permethrin sprays on local moth populations, I am comparing moth biodiversity and abundance using modified bucket traps baited with incandescent lights, on (n=3) and off (n=3) the ULV application route at Camp Arrowhead in Lewes, Delaware, which has been sprayed for the past 8 years using AquaLuer 20-20 ULV insecticide. Camp Arrowhead sits in a pine-dominant maritime forest surrounded by tidal salt marsh. Samples are being collected on three individual nights, one month apart from late July to September, and analyses are ongoing.