SEASONAL CAPTURES OF BOLLWORM AND TOBACCO BUDWORM (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) MALES IN PHEROMONE-BAITED TRAPS IN LOUISIANA

Abstract

Pheromone traps baited with synthetic sex lures of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), were monitored over an eight-year period (1980–1987) in Louisiana. The total number of Heliothis spp. males captured in traps was observed to be highest during August and September. Seasonal totals indicated that the number of bollworms exceeded the number of tobacco budworms collected during each year of the study. Pheromone trap captures of tobacco budworms demonstrated a bimodal pattern of occurrence with peaks during June and September. The number of tobacco budworm males collected for August and September represented a greater percentage of the total Heliothis spp. population than was observed earlier in the season. These data also indicate that the seasonal abundance of the tobacco budworm has increased during the period 1984–1987 which emphasizes the importance of early harvest in cotton production by decreasing the damage potential of both Heliothis spp. during September.