Abstract
Many more mating pairs of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) were found in a cotton field than in neighboring alfalfa and asparagus fields. Mating almost always occurred on the upper sides of cotton leaves and toward the outer perimeter of the plant. The vertical location in the foliage at which mating occurred was greatly influenced by prevailing Wind velocities. On relatively calm nights, most moths mated near the top of the plants. On windy nights most mating occurred at lower levels in the foliage. Correspondingly, traps baited with virgin females captured the most males when located near the top of the foliage on relatively calm nights and at lower levels on windy nights. The phase and position of the moon also influenced the location of pink bollworm mating in cotton. On clear nights when a full-moon was present, almost all mating occurred on leaves that were shadowed from the moon's illumination. This tendency decreased with the presence of a half-moon.
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