2026 Volume 77 Issue 2 Pages 103-116
We recorded the hemlock moth, Agonopterix alstromeriana (Clerck, 1759) from Japan for the first time. We determined based on both morphology and DNA analysis. The haplotype from Hokkaido, Japan we analyzed was completely consistent with the most common haplotype known from the world. The seasonal occurrence of this species was investigated by light trapping on the Sapporo Campus of Hokkaido University over six years. The results of this study revealed that adults live for almost one year, until just before the emergence of new adults. The species is not considered to be highly migratory, and its introduction into Japan is likely to have been artificially induced during its long adult life span, possibly by being mixed in with some kind of material. Although this species is highly effective as a biological control agent against hemlock in a small community, it is not promising as a means of large-scale control.
