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Gypsy Moth Glossary of Terms

AERIAL TREATMENT: The treatment by aircraft of qualified spray blocks with an approved pesticide.

ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE (APHIS): The USDA agency responsible for regulating materials which have potential for artificially moving the gypsy moth out of quarantined areas, for conducting a national gypsy moth survey, and for eradicating isolated infestations of the gypsy moth.

BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS (Bt): A bacterium that occurs naturally in the soil and is known to be fatal to gypsy moths. A commercial preparation of Bt is used as an aerial spray to reduce gypsy moth caterpillar populations. Bt kills only caterpillars; it is not toxic to humans, fish, wild animals, or plants.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: Control of pests by means of predators, parasites, and disease producing organisms.

BLOCK ADVISOR: Represents MDA in the field to ensure implementation of the minimum bid specifications; investigates and reports any aircraft incident involving personal injury or property damage; verifies accuracy of information on the load site records.

BLOW-IN POTENTIAL: The potential for early instar caterpillars to “balloon” into an area.

BUFFER: A 1/10-mile radium around a protected site, this is then squared off for treatment ease.

CANOPY: The overhand of trees in a wooded area.

CHARACTERIZATION: The qualities of an aircraft spray pattern, including effective swath width and droplet size.

CHEMICAL CONTROL: Control of the pest by means of a pesticide chemical (i.e. Dimilin, Seven, Bt).

CLASS DESIGNATION: A description of a gypsy moth population trend based on egg mass size and numbers (i.e. IA is a trend of 1 and a population of 300 – 2,000 egg masses per acre).

COLLAPSE: The drop of a gypsy moth caterpillar population to extremely low levels in a particular area. Lack of food in combination with disease and predators can sometimes cause a collapse of the local gypsy moth population.

COOPERATIVE AERIAL SUPPRESSION PROGRAM: An aerial treatment program for gypsy moth which involves the county, MDA and USDA-FS in a cooperative effort.

COUNTY CODE: The standard two digit code for Michigan’s counties.

COUNTY COORDINATOR: Serves as administrator of contract between county and aerial applicator; responds to questions from the public and press; obtains vehicles to transport supplies and equipment; locates storage for balloons, helium tanks and other needed articles; alerts various law enforcement agencies, campers, hospitals, poison control centers, and other necessary municipal agencies of program and material being used; supplies detailed maps on which the areas to be treated have been delineated; provides treatment block acreage lists to the record keeper at the loading site; verifies accuracy of information on the load site record; ensures all balloon set points are flagged prior to setting balloons; assists in coordinating emergency procedures; determines when treatment may begin based on biological and meteorological conditions or treatment must be terminated for similar reasons.

DEFOLIATION: Removal of leaves from plants (in this case, trees and shrubs). Manure gypsy moth caterpillars will eat several leaves each day.

DIFLUBENZURON (Dimilin): A growth regulator of gypsy moth which kills the larvae by preventing a chemical in the skin from forming.

DIGITIZE: The process of converting map data into digital computer data.

DIRECT COSTS: Costs which may be charged directly to costs objectives. Eligible expenses are those incurred directly for spray program, i.e., salaries, fringes, travel costs, supplies, materials, equipment, surveying, GPS expenses, planning, training, spraying, and evaluating.

EGG MASS: A mass of eggs laid by the female gypsy moth. The number of eggs range from 50 to about 1,000; the average in Michigan is about 400 eggs per mass. The mass is usually buff colored and ranges from ½ to ¾ inches long.

EGG MASS TREND: A number (1,2, or 3) to describe the proportion of new to old egg masses.

  1. More new than old egg masses
  2. Approximately the same
  3. More old than new egg masses

ELIGIBLE AREAS: Areas defined as one of the five priority categories.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Any species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range. Endangered species are designated in the Federal Register by the Secretary of the Interior.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS): Any agency’s official position on its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act. The statement is prepared after comments have been received and considered on a draft edition.

ERADICATION: The elimination of an organism from a geographical area for a specified time.

FACT SHEETS: Information sheet, distributed by MSU’s Extension Office, which deals with one area of the gypsy moth.

FAVORED TREE SPECIES: Species of trees preferred by gypsy moth caterpillars.

FIELD EVALUATION: The process of gathering information from the actual site of treatment.

FOLIAGE: The leaf area of the tree.

GEOGRPAHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS): Data storage and display system that ties data elements to geographic locations. It allows different types of information to by displayed on the same map.

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS): A method of determining geographic location by using radio signals received from satellites.

GRANT AGREEMENT: The Michigan Department of Agriculture offers the County grant assistance subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations as set forth. Reimbursement will be made for each of two programmatic periods: Period 1: October 1 to June 30, Period 2: July 1 through September 30.

HOST: An organism that harbors and provides nourishment for a parasite.

INDIRECT COSTS: Costs incurred for the benefit of the grant but which cannot readily be assigned to it. Most commonly referred to as “overhead” costs, i.e., office space, legal counsel, and expense of staff not working directly on the program.

INFESTATION LEVELS: The numbers of a given pest (adult, larvae or eggs) in a specific area.

INSECTICIDE: Any substance or preparation used for killing insects.

INSTARS: A stage of caterpillar growth. Each of the five to six instars roughly corresponds to caterpillar length. For instance, at the 4th through 6th instars, the caterpillars are between 2 and 2.5 inches long.

INSTITUTIONS: An established building other than commercial or residential where there could be a large congregation of people outside (i.e., schools, hospitals, etc.).

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM): Uses all strategies for pest control; includes the pest’s life cycle, organic and inorganic products, and other tools.

LARVAL STAGE: The immature stage of a moth’s life cycle also called a caterpillar.

LICENSED AERIAL APPLICATOR: A pesticide applicator licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture to apply products from an aircraft.

LOAD SITE RECORD: A form that is used in the program to record the pesticide used, rate/acre, BIU acres, acres/gallon, lot number, seal #s, retain sample number, specific gravity. Detailed information such as take off time, landing time, beginning gallons, gallons loaded, gallons on board, gallons remaining, gallons used, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and blocks treated.

LYMANTRIA DISPAR L.: The Latin genus and species name of the gypsy moth.

MOLT: The process a caterpillar goes through as it grows in size. The molting process occurs as the larva goes from one instar to another through shedding its skin.

MONITORING: To observe, record, or detect (an operation or condition). To observe and record gypsy moth activity.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA): Establishes a national policy to encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between men and the environment; promote efforts that will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and stimulate the health and welfare of man; enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the nation; and establish a Council on Environmental Quality.

NUCLEO POLYHEDROSIS VIRUS (NPV): A parasitic virus that attacks the gypsy moth, a natural enemy.

OBJECTOR BUFFERS: A non-sprayed perimeter area around a resident’s (objector’s) property.

OOENCYRTUS KUVANAE: A minute parasite wasp that attacks gypsy moth eggs.

OUTBREAK: A sudden large increase in an insect’s population.

PARALLET SWATH LINES: Side by side lines resulting from spray that was applied by a commercial sprayer or aircraft. A swath is the overall effective width of spray pattern.

PARASITE INTRODUCTION: To introduce a parasite into a given area.

PASSIVE GYPSY MOTH INTRODUCTION: Gypsy moth movement into an area without intentional interference of the population.

PHEROMONE: A scent given off by insects which influences the behavior of the same species (and in some cases, other species as well).

PHEROMONE TRAP: A cardboard structure used to capture male gypsy moths by attracting them with pheromone; population expansion can then be monitored.

PLAT MAP: Have listing of county’s legal description on property boundaries within the county.

PROGRAM PRIORITY CATEGORIES: Categories 1 through 5. A block must fit into one or more categories to be eligible to qualify for treatment.

  1. Residential – multiple dwelling and forested
  2. Public recreational – high use
  3. Private recreational – high use
  4. Public special use
  5. Private special use – single residents

PROPOSED BUDGET (COUNTY): County submits a proposed budget (salaries and wages, fringe benefits, travel expenses, general expenditures, itemized indirect expenses) and sends to the MDA Program Manager.

PROPOSED TREATMENT BLOCK: Annual treatment block development consists of two parts: 2) identifying eligible lands; and 2) assessing gypsy moth infestation levels.

PUPA: The state of gypsy moth development between caterpillar and the adult moth.

QUALIFIED ACRES (GROSS ACREAGE): These are acres that meet the minimum egg mass density requirement.

QUARANTINE – GYPSY MOTH: A restriction on movement of plants, animals, and personal property that have potential to transport gypsy moth life stages from regulated/quarantined areas. Before a quarantined article can be shipped across state lines, it must meet certain prescribed conditions.

REFOLIATE: When a tree produces a new set of leaves after insects or disease consumes the original set.

REGULATED AREA(S): The area that is quarantined. Areas where gypsy moth is permanently established and reproducing, and from which APHIS regulates the movement of materials such as household goods, nursery stock, and other commodities in order to prevent artificial movement of gypsy moth life stages to uninfested areas of the United States.

REIMBURSEMENT: To pay back a percentage of money spent on allowable expenses incurred by participating counties, while operating a gypsy moth suppression program.

RESIDENCE: Any place of human habitation including permanent and seasonal dwellings.

SCOPING QUESTIONS/ANSWERS: Public Scoping meetings or alternate scoping methods must be used to solicit the scope of community concerns including the desire for a treatment program, insecticides that may be used. Qualifying parameters are required in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) plan and determining environmental sensitive areas.

SPRAY BLOCK: An area meeting all MDA criteria and approved for aerial treatment by the MDA.

SUPPRESSION: To reduce local populations of gypsy moth to tolerable levels.

SUPPRESSION PROGRAM: A voluntary program where Federal dollars reimburse costs for aerial spraying of qualified county acres.

SUPPRESSION SPRAY: A pesticide registered for use on gypsy moths that is applied by aircraft onto plants that the gypsy moth feed on. (Example: Bt-Bacillus thuringiensis; which is used for the MDA voluntary Suppression Program)

THREATENED & ENDANGERED SPECIES (T & E): Any plant or animal that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future in all, or a significant portion, of its range. Threatened species are defined in the Federal Register by the Secretary of the Interior.

TREATMENT AREA: An area that is eligible for the Gypsy Moth Suppression Program, which has been identified, numbered, and boundaries drawn on a plat map.

Related Content
 •  The Gypsy Moth
 •  Gypsy Moth Welcome Letter PDF icon
 •  Gypsy Moth Effects
 •  Gypsy Moth Guidelines for Post-Spray Evaulation PDF icon
 •  Gypsy Moth History
 •  Gypsy Moth Impact Viewpoints
 •  Gypsy Moth Introduction
 •  Gypsy Moth Lifecycle
 •  Gypsy Moth Management Options
 •  Gypsy Moth Overview of Program Operation
 •  Gypsy Moth Property Owner Notification Process PDF icon
 •  Gypsy Moth Suppression Program

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