Pink bollworm moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) catches in the Imperial Valley, California from 1989 to 2003

Abstract

Abstract We examined the patterns of male pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), moth catches in gossyplure‐baited traps over a 15‐year period from 1989 to 2003 in the Imperial Valley, California, USA. Monitoring was conducted during periods when different pink bollworm areawide control strategies were being used. Numbers of male pink bollworm moths caught in gossyplure‐baited traps progressively decreased each year from 1990 to 1994 during short‐season cotton production. High numbers of male moths caught in traps from 1995 to 1997 may have been related to moth migrations from the large cotton acreages grown in the Mexicali Valley bordering the Imperial Valley. Transgenic Bollgard® (Bt) cotton was planted in 3% of the cotton area in 1996 and thereafter in 80%–94% of the cotton area from 1997 to 2003. Pink bollworm moth trap catches were significantly lower from 1998 to 2003 than catches in 1995 to 1997, except for 1999. The trapping results suggested that Bt cotton had significant input on reduction of pink bollworm populations, confirming results of other investigators and providing additional documentation on the benefits of the Bt cotton culture.