We highlight recent developments and avenues for advancement, which can improve insight into the causes of
changes in the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest Geometridea
moth species (hereafter ‘geometrids’). Some forest geometrids
possess fundamental biological traits, which make them
particularly liable to outbreak range expansions and host shifts mitigated by climate change. Indeed, recently observed
changes in geometrid spatiotemporal dynamics represent both
new research opportunities and challenges for empirically
testing drivers of intra- and interspecific spatial synchrony, including the role of trophic interactions and biological traits (e.g. dispersal ability). We advocate that the emerging field of near-term ecological forecasting holds promise for studies of the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest geometrids and could be tailored to give both accurate predictions at managementrelevant timescales and new insights into the mechanisms that underlie spatiotemporal population dynamics.
