
Spongy moth caterpillars have destroyed trees throughout the Tri-state region.
Peter Steiner
Spongy moth caterpillars have destroyed trees throughout the Tri-state region.
MILLBROOK — One of the major factors in the cycle of the spongy moth and their proliferation — or lack of proliferation — turns out to be acorns.
Spongy moths, formerly referred to as Gypsy moths for their itinerant ways, were the topic of a lecture Thursday, Jan. 11, by scientists Clive Jones, who has studied the spongy moth for 30 years, and Charles Canham, who has studied northeastern forests for 40 years. Both are emeritus scientists of Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, which hosted the lecture.
Spongy moths, natives of Europe and Asia, came to North America in 1868 or 1869, to Medford, Massachusetts. Amateur entomologist Etienne Trouvelot believed he could crossbreed them with silkworms in an attempt to “make a hardy silkworm.”
“He got some egg masses of the spongy moth and set them on the sill of his open window. When they blew into his garden, he could not find them,” said Jones.
By 1891, there was mass defoliation in the Medford area and spongy moths were found in a 200-square-mile area. From there, they began to spread throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Alone, the spongy moth travels by ballooning on silk threads; assisted, humans unwittingly transport eggs laid on cut logs or vehicles.
The life of the spongy moth could be said to begin in July and August, when the flightless female moths emit pheromones to tell males that they’re ready to mate.
They each lay a few hundred eggs, often at the bases of trees. If the moth population is high, they lay eggs anywhere, on garden furniture or on the bumper of a car.
Then, the following May, the eggs hatch. The larvae spend May and June ballooning to new locations on silken threads. They rest under trees during the day, then go up into the tree canopy at night to feed. They prefer oaks but also eat maple, beech, apple, hickory, willow and birch trees, among others.
When the population is very dense and the competition for food is fiercer, they may eat all day and night. Once a tree is defoliated, they’ll move to the next canopy.
In late June and July, the larvae pupate — a caterpillar-to-moth metamorphosis that lasts a couple of weeks — then they emerge and breed and the cycle begins again.
Jones explained that “outbreaks” — or high densities of spongy moths — “occur about every 10 years on average, but like any average, it does not mean there will be outbreaks like clockwork.”
There are two major causes of outbreaks, he continued. One is “high female fecundity,” for example: If one moth laid 500 eggs and 250 were female, 125 of those would live to maturity and lay eggs. So, in year two, there would be 125 females laying eggs, and the third year, over 15,000 would result.
The other cause of outbreaks is the collapse of the white-footed mouse population, he said. White-footed mice eat the pupae as a part of their omnivorous diet.
At this point, we reach the subject of acorns:
“The number of mice is determined by the number of acorns the previous fall,” Jones continued, saying that if there is a moderate to large acorn crop in the fall, more mice survive the winter and begin breeding earlier in the year, in late winter or early spring. When that happens, there is an extra generation of mice, meaning more mice to eat more moth pupae.
Studies at the Cary Institute concluded that “moderate to high mouse densities keep moth populations low,” while it was found “that when the mouse population declines, the spongy moth population increases.”
However, defoliation of oaks can cause the trees to produce fewer acorns, meaning less food for the mice, meaning fewer mice the following spring, meaning more moths, and so on, until the moth population collapses again.
There are three major causes of population collapse among the moths.
One is a fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga, which kills the moth at moderate and high densities. It likes cool, wet springs and is more abundant in those conditions.
The more common cause of collapse is Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV): When the moths are at high density, they are more stressed by the struggle to find food. Their immunity drops, they are more likely to catch the virus, and many are killed.
The third cause of moth population collapse is lack of food: When they defoliate a large area of trees and run out of food too early, they can’t mature and proceed to egg laying.
Jones said that Cary Institute scientists predict an NPV collapse in 2024: “Whether or not there’ll be a lot or a little defoliation [this year] will really depend on how fast the virus moves through the population. If it moves slowly, there’ll be complete defoliation. If it goes through fast, there’ll be incomplete defoliation.”
Canham continued the lecture by saying, “Defoliation by caterpillars is rarely a direct and immediate cause of tree mortality.”
Canham explained that this is due to “carbohydrate economy”: “Basically, photosynthesis during the growing season produces the sugars needed to produce new tissues, and the energy those tissues need for their metabolism.
“But the even more important outcome of a good growing season is the profit leftover after meeting those immediate needs, and that profit is in the form of sugars and starches that act as reserves for use next year.”
Usually, unless the tree is weakened by other factors, it will draw on its reserves to get through this defoliation and produce more leaves that same year.
An exception that Canham has observed at Cary Institute is the understory hemlocks, which don’t make as many reserves and, after a couple years of defoliation in a row, may not recover. Needle trees, DEEP has noted, can be killed if they lose more than 50% of their foliate.
Canham said he worries more about the devastating effects of the emerald ash borer, longhorn beetle, spotted lantern fly and hemlock wooly adelgid than about the spongy moth.
He said if a tree is in crisis, a way to help it is to water it to “help replenish its reserves.”
For more information or to view the lecture video, go to www.caryinstitute.org/news-insights/lecture-video/...
Michelle Blackburn, no. 12 of Pine Plains, helped lead the Bombers to victory over S.S. Seward Institute as point guard for most of the Section IX Class C tournament finals at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., on Wednesday, March 5. The Bombers took home the title after winning the hard-fought game 55-42.
NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The Pine Plains girls varsity Bombers won the Section IX Class C girls tournament Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.
The Bombers took an early lead against S.S. Seward's Spartans and didn't let off the throttle for the rest of the night, wining the game 55-42.
"We were here last year and we lost a tough one at the end," girls varsity coach Les Funk said after the game. "These kids never gave up. They had this in mind from last year. This was the goal."
"They had this in mind from last year," girls varsity head coach Les Funk of Pine Plains said. Funk said the young team wanted the sectional title and "never gave up," until they won it Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.Photo by Nathan Miller
The Bombers hit the ground running in the finals matchup, winning the first possession and quickly racking up a 10 point lead before the end of the first quarter.
The squad was led in scoring by Neveah Rennie, no. 34, who scored 20 points, and Emma Brenner, no. 23, who scored 17 points.
Most of the Bombers points came from field goals in the first half. Pine Plains entered halftime with a 30-12 lead over Seward.
Naveah Rennie, no 34 of Pine Plains, was the Bombers' dominant scorer, racking up 20 points by the end of the matchup against S.S. Seward Institute during the Section IX Class C finals at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, March 5.Photo by Nathan Miller
Seward caught on in the second half and fought hard to keep Rennie and Brenner from scoring, but only succeeded in sending the two shooters to the free-throw line where they both saw success.
Rennie made 75% of her free-throw attempts at the finals game. Brenner went to the line less often but came away with a higher make percentage of 83% — she made five out of six attempted free throws.
Ben Coon, 10, on the “mound,” practiced his pitching on Tuesday, March 4, in the Webutuck Elementary School gym, with Coach Colby Dunlop, left, giving pointers.
AMENIA — The 2025 Webutuck Little League season is around the corner and the League said players are still needed to fill out teams for games to be played in Millerton and Amenia.
Registration remains open for T-ball, majors, minors, seniors and girls’ softball teams. Some scholarships are available to cover costs.
League President Matt Deister said the League is planning tryouts to be held on Saturday, March 15, and on Thursday, March 20, at Webutuck high school and middle school gyms. Exact times will be announced but the expectation is that March 15 tryout will be in the morning and that the March 20 event will be in the early evening.
Volunteers and parent coaches are also welcomed for teams that range from 4-6 years of age to seniors at 13-16 years.
The start of the season is targeted to be mid-April, though an exact date has not been set. Teams play in Millerton at the Eddie Collins Memorial Park field and at Beekman Park in Amenia.
The Webutuck Little League season is bookended with an Opening Day celebration that amounts to a party for players and parents and a celebration at the end of the season when play is wrapped up and players receive trophies and more hot dogs and hamburgers.
At an organizational meeting on Tuesday, March 4, at the Webutuck Elementary School gym, where pitching practice was underway for players already signed up, the Webutuck Little League Board discussed plans for sponsorships, tryouts, safety training for coaches and other events planned for the spring.
Besides Deister, other officers include Eric Eschbach, vice president; Judy Moran, treasurer; and Jessica Deister, secretary. The next Board meeting is March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Webutuck Elementary School gym.
For more information about registration or volunteering, email webutucklittleleague@gmail.com.
The League’s Facebook page is WebutuckLittleLeague.
POUGHKEEPSIE — In a letter directed to Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, on Feb. 27, New York State attorney general Letitia James emphasized the consequences of downsizing services at their Poughkeepsie office.
On the heels of the news at the Poughkeepsie location, the social security office in White Plains is scheduled to close. Westchester officials have been weighing a plan to offer a county-owned location in a bid to preserve the office.
The Trump administration has recently made a series of cuts affecting funding for various agencies and programs, but James maintained social security must be enshrined.
“Social Security is a sacred promise that this country makes to its citizens,” James said. “Seniors and people with disabilities throughout the Hudson Valley rely on the White Plains and Poughkeepsie offices to ensure they receive the support they deserve. Protecting access to Social Security and the rights of vulnerable New Yorkers must transcend politics and be a principle that all those in public service support.”
James pointed out anyone in need of services past what is currently offered at the Poughkeepsie location would be faced with extended travel times. For seniors and individuals with challenges who reside in Northern Dutchess, the reduction of service at Poughkeepsie and the closure at White Plains means traveling to the Hudson, Middletown or Peekskill locations — or further. It is feasible additional locations could face funding cuts or closures in the future.
“Shuttering our Poughkeepsie Social Security office and the pending closure in White Plains puts an unconscionable burden on our neighbors, from seniors to wounded veterans, and individuals with disabilities, who rely on these vital benefits and the convenience of local services,” Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-41, said. “It’s the federal government’s job to administer Social Security. That job includes making sure no one is left behind or subject to delays and roadblocks. We need clarity from the SSA on their plans and a commitment to ensuring these facilities remain available locally.”
Lent: Time to consider social gospel movement
We are entering the annual Christian season of Lent this week.With its 40 days of contemplation and “little Easter” Sundays, it is a time to remember the healing ministry and the sacrifice of Jesus.During this season, we are invited to think deeply about our role as agents of grace and love in our hurting world.
There is a long history of making sacrifices and commitments for Lent, modeling our discipleship and hopes for a more heavenly world. It is through this lens that I invite you to join us in considering what gifts and services the community needs that we can commit to bringing forth in the weeks leading up to Easter.While many lean into solitary introspection during Lent, it may be particularly advantageous to use our meditations and sacrifices for the greater good this year.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, advised his followers centuries ago that “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and depth and breadth and height of Christian perfection.”These words are connected to the firm belief of Wesley that a Methodist was fundamentally one who loved God with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul, along with loving one’s neighbor as oneself.He believed that being in love with God naturally also required loving other people, as every person was a beloved soul coming from the same source of life that we are.
Consequently, Wesley stood against slavery long before it was a popular view, prioritized caring for those who were poor and imprisoned, and made a point to do good to as many as he could for as long as he was physically able.
Indeed, the Methodists are not the only Christians who believe such things.These thoughts are primary messages of the Christian faith.In more recent history, we can note that during the time of the Golden Age, at the end of the late 19th century, the Christians mobilized to counteract the abject poverty, child labor, dangerous working conditions, and lack of education of the time.Famous theologians such as Washington Gladden, Walter Rauschenbusch, and W.E.B. DuBois began the Social Gospel movement, enacting with new verve the passion of Christ that empowers the community toward building the Kingdom of God.As Christians, they believed in uplifting the downtrodden and creating a community where all had a chance to thrive.Child labor laws were enacted, better working conditions were secured, Sunday School helped provide education, settlement houses were created, and the Salvation Army was born.
The social gospel movement continued in another wave of reforms and empowerment through the Civil Rights era.Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his intellect, energy, and life to help secure the reforms that enabled persons of color to vote, go to non-segregated schools, and have the right to share public spaces without discrimination.Like Christ, he paid the ultimate price for his prophetic vision.However, his impact on our society was formidable, lasting far beyond his short lifetime.
As Christians, it is very clear what to do in times of hardship, crisis, or challenge.Throughout the centuries, our call has been to help heal the world, doing whatever we can to uplift and transform loneliness into community, reminding each one how precious they are and how important it is to unite for the sake of the whole.Individually, the challenges can be overwhelming, even too much to bear.Collectively, we can do all things through the One who strengthens us.As they say, “We have the receipts!” We can do it again.
This Lent, let us give up our pessimism and fear, replacing it with a commitment to community and hope.Yes, things can seem dreadful, but our souls are not served by allowing ourselves to descend into the dark.We are keepers of the light.Let us do all within our power to create brightness so that its warmth may strengthen all as we live into the Social Gospel movement for our time.Chin up, friends, we can do this.We simply must be willing to get serious about doing it together.
Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is pastor of Canaan, Lakeville, Millerton, and Sharon United Methodist Churches
Lead Pastor of the Northwestern Hills Cooperative
Parish UMC