Marking Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) with Cesium

Abstract

Pink bollworm, (PBW) Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), adults reared on artificial diet containing 1 × 10 −2 M and 1 × 10 −3 M CsCl were marked with Cs which could be detected by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The cesium mark was sufficient to last the expected lifetime of the insects. PBW reared on diet containing 5 × 10 −2 M CsCl had significant mortality. Unmarked females mated to males reared on artificial diet containing 1 × 10 −2 M and 1 × 10 −3 M CsCl did not contain sufficient Cs to be marked for life. PBW reared on cotton plants sprayed with solutions of 5,000 and 10,000 μg of Cs/ml were marked. PBW adults exposed for 72 h to cotton plants sprayed with solutions of 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 μg of Cs/ml were marked. PBW adults reared from field cotton plants sprayed with CsCl solutions at rates of 1.24, 2.47, and 4.94 kg of CsCl/ha were marked. Only the dosage of 4.94 kg of CsCl/ha produced a mark which was expected to last the life span of the adult PBW. CsCl-sprayed cotton plants were analyzed for Cs content, and absorption and translocation of Cs within the plant were verified.