Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

The article reviews the occurrence and control of the pine beauty moth Panolis flammea (Den. et Schiff.) in south-western areas of Poland in the post-war period. Currently, the analysed area is being administered by the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Wrocław. After World War II massive outbreaks of Panolis flammea occurred several times on this territory. In the years 1950–1970 four gradations were recorded. The
less turbulent period of 1970–2000 was followed by the threat of the insects‘ reappearance in that territory, requiring control measures to to reduce their number. As in the analysed area the pine beauty moth reoccurs in certain time intervals, it is of interest to identify factors determining the occurrence of this folivore. Therefore, a description was made of the habitat and stand conditions in the areas where a major threat of pine beauty moth gradation was observed and their number was reduced by chemical measures. Due to data availability, the description is based on the past 22 years. It was stated that the greatest growth of the pine beauty moth population occurred in stands aged from 30 to 87 years, of site classes Ia to III, growing stock of 0.7 to 1.0, growing in fresh coniferous forest, fresh mixed coniferous forest and in one case of moist mixed forest sites.