Appetitive Flight Behavior of Male Gypsy Moths 1 (Lepidoptera: Lymantridae)

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Abstract
The flight direction of male gypsy moths across an observation area (10 by 10 m) at three sites representing high, intermediate, and low population densities was not preferentially crosswind, upwind, or downwind, nor was it correlated with any cardinal direction. Horizontal flight and tree-oriented vertical flight were the predominant behaviors observed at both low- and high-density sites. Males spent more time in tree-oriented vertical flight in the high-density site, although even at low density it was a predominant behavior in the virtual absence of females and, presumably, pheromone. Similarly, more males were captured at sticky traps unbaited with pheromone stapled to tree trunks than at traps hung in the air >2 m from large trees. Most males flew at heights 2 m from large trees, most males were captured at 0 m at the low-density site, but trap catch was evenly distributed at all heights in the high-density site.