Response of Virgin vs. Mated and Sterile vs. Fertile Female Boll Weevils1 to Male-Baited Traps34

Abstract

In field cage and isolated field tests the response of virgin female boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, to male-baited traps was from 2 to 9 times greater than that of mated females. Females that had mated as long as 1 wk prior to release were still not as responsive as were virgins. The interval after the last mating may be important in determining whether or not a mated female will remate. Response of mated females is also influenced by male density. The fact that some mated native females will respond to males a second time should be beneficial to a boll weevil eradication program. In field cage tests the response of sterile female boll weevils to male-baited traps was approximately the same as that of fertile females. If eradication of the boll weevil is attempted, the release of sterile females along with the sterile males may contribute to premature sperm depletion of the sterile males, unless an effective pheromone trapping system is devised to remove these females from the field after release.