An Airborne Radar Technique for the Investigation and Control of Migrating Pest Insects

A new airborne radar technique has been developed and used during two seasons on three aircraft in Canada, to investigate the source areas, flight behaviour and areas of deposition of migrating insects. The radar measures, records and analyses more than 100 high resolution profiles of insect orientation and absolute density per second, at a spacing of less than one metre of aircraft track. During some 11000 km flown with this equipment in New Brunswick and neighbouring areas, synoptic and small-scale meteorological systems have been traversed and their effects on the flying insects (spruce budworm moths) have been measured.