ARS | Publication request: Pink bollworm trapping in the Southern Plains of Texas and New Mexico

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 15, 2011
Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Citation: Multer, W., Doederlein, T., Cattaneo, M., Pierce, J., Allen, C., Zink, R., Walters, M., Kerns, D., Westbrook, J.K. 2011. Pink bollworm trapping in the Southern Plains of Texas and New Mexico. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 753-757.

Interpretive Summary: Pink bollworm is a major cotton pest that has been eradicated from most of the U.S. Cotton Belt, but pink bollworm moths have been captured in traps near isolated fields in western Texas. Long-distance moth flight has been suspected in the abrupt capture of pink bollworm moths in areas that had previously captured few or no moths. Simulated wind trajectories indicate that long-distance flight opportunities existed for moths to disperse from southern Midland County to the eastern side of the El Paso / Trans-Pecos (EP/TP) eradication zone in 2009. In 2010 trap lines were operated between Midland County and the EP/TP zone, but no pink bollworm moths were captured in the trap lines. However, simulated wind trajectories suggest that flight opportunities supported capture patterns in trap lines within Midland County and adjacent counties in 2010. The results of this study will aid in the modification of protocols to efficiently complete the eradication of pink bollworm.

Technical Abstract: This study identified several cotton fields in southern Midland County, TX on which large numbers of pink bollworm (PBW) moths were caught. No other large concentrations of PBW were found in the region. Winds with the capability of moving moths long distances occurred during the 2010 study. Wind trajectories were appropriate to have moved moths from areas where PBW moth captures were high, to areas in which only few PBW moths were caught. These findings help to support the theory that the wild pink bollworm moths trapped in 2009 on the east side the El Paso/Trans Pecos (EP/TP) eradication zone may have originated in southern Midland County. No PBW moths were captured in trap lines between cotton growing areas in the southern plains and those in the EP/TP zone in 2010. Capture of moths in traps on the trap lines would have provided further evidence either supporting or contradicting the theory.