In addition to the narrow host range of E. tetragonana and
E. ustulana, we also found the two species have wide distributions
in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, southwestern China, with high
abundance at many sites. They were found in diverse habitats
and occurred at least from April to October. These results indicate
they could adapt to varying environments and may spread and
build up large populations in the field once introduced and
released. The emerging frequency of the two moths indicated a
high frequency of E. ustulana, in the low latitude and tropical area.
Therefore, in their native area there is a need for more work in
monitoring the population dynamics and mutual effects in the
community, which would be useful in forecasting the future
release. Furthermore, as they damage young leaves and buds and
then make leaf-rolls, this kind of herbivory may significantly suppress the buds of flowers and fruits and then decrease reproduction, indicating potential effectiveness in controlling the
plant invasion.