Seasonal Trends in Catches of Moths of Twelve Harmful Species in Blacklight Traps in Northeast Arkansas

Abstract

A BL trap was operated in 1970 in Craighead County, Arkansas, and results of catches were used as a basis for construction of curves to illustrate fluctuation and seasonal trend for 12 species of moths. The forage looper, Caenurgina crechtea (Cramer), was collected in the largest numbers and was followed by the claybacked cutworm, Agrotis gladiaria (Morrison); corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie); dingy cutworm, Feltia subgothica (Haworth); armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth); bristly cutworm, Lacinipolia renigera (Stephens); yellow woollybear, Diacrisia virginica (F.); variegated cutworm, Peridroma saucia (Hübner); black cutworm, A. ipsilon (Hufnagel); saltmarsh caterpillar, Estigmene acrea (Drury); cotton leafworm, Alabama argillacea (Hübner); and granulate cutworm, F. subterranea (F.). The claybacked cutworm, dingy cutworm, and cotton leafworm were collected after September 10, with distinct peaks in October. Most specimens of the variegated cutworm and bristly cutworm were trapped by late June. The armyworm, yellow woollybear, forage looper, black cutworm, and saltmarsh caterpillar were relatively active throughout the period from April 3 to November 13. The trapped male:female ratios were: corn earworm 8:5, saltmarsh caterpillar 4:1, and armyworm 1:1.