FOREST ROADSIDE SAMPLING OF LARVAE AND ADULTS OF THE WESTERN HEMLOCK LOOPER, LAMBDINA-FISCELLARIA-LUGUBROSA

The roadside sampling method, in which sampling is conducted along a r oad has the advantage that large areas can be quickly surveyed. The me thod is particularly useful for forest areas where accessibility to to es within a stand can be a problem. In this study, larvae and adults o f the western hemlock looper were sampled along forest roads and the d ata were examined with spatial statistics. The results indicated spati al continuity of insect counts along the forest roads, although the ra nge and magnitude varied significantly between years and among sites. At Sugar Lake Forest Road, larvae and adults were spatially dependent within a distance of 7.25 km. In the three Vancouver watersheds, a sig nificant spatial autocorrelation of male adult counts occurred when tr aps were up to 3 km apart. In addition, insect densities along the roa ds were closely related to those within the stands. The implications o f these results to the management of the western hemlock looper are di scussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.