Population Dynamics and Reproductive Developmental Analysis ofHelicoverpa armigera(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Trapped Using Food Attractants in the Field

Abstract

Monitoring adult populations of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a major agricultural pest, provides data useful for its control. Food attractants, considered as adult insect behavior regulators based on the preference of an herbivorous pest for food sources or their volatiles, also have great potential for monitoring populations. To study the feasibility of monitoring the population dynamics and reproductive development of H. armigera in the field using food attractants, we quantitatively analyzed reproductive organ development of adults in a laboratory population as a way to predict the reproductive development of adults trapped using food attractants in the field in 2019 and 2020. The adults trapped using food attractants had obvious generational changes and the same trends in variation for females and males. The extent of ovarian development in trapped females tended to increase within each generation, and the major axis length of testis in trapped males tended to decrease. Reproductive developmental status of trapped adults also differed significantly among months. This study shows that by trapping H. armigera with food attractants, the population dynamics of adults in the field can be monitored, and reproductive anatomy can also be used to monitor adult reproductive status. These approaches are a new way to forecast the population dynamics of this pest.

Large‐area field application confirms the effectiveness of toxicant‐infused bait for managing Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in maize fields

“…Our field trapping test results showed that in the toxicant‐infused bait treatment fields and control treatment fields, male H. armigera moths attracted by the bio‐bait Bioattract®‐Heli were ranged from 2 to 10 days old. The length of the testes of male H. armigera moths attracted in the control and toxicant‐infused bait treatment fields decreased significantly with the stage of investigation, whereas the age of male moths increased significantly with the stage of investigation, which was consistent with the results reported in the literature 36,47 . These results indicate that bio‐bait Bioattract®‐Heli has similar attractive activity for both young and old males, and using bio‐bait Bioattract®‐Heli as the ‘attract‐and‐kill’ attractant can significantly reduce the population of H. armigera male moths in the field.…”

“…Our research results show that toxicant‐infused bait can strongly attract and kill H. armigera adults, similar to the results found in studies of fall armyworms, sugar beet moths and other pest moths 29,47,48 . The number of male and female H. armigera adults attracted and killed by strip application of toxicant‐infused bait ranged from 1 to 37 and 4 to 36 per strip, respectively, of which female moths accounted for 53%, consistent with the results in cotton, maize, soybean and peanut fields by He et al 36 …”

“…The testes size of lepidopteran moths during the adulthood stage usually decrease with age 36,49,51,52 . Our field trapping test results showed that in the toxicant‐infused bait treatment fields and control treatment fields, male H. armigera moths attracted by the bio‐bait Bioattract®‐Heli were ranged from 2 to 10 days old.…”

Sex Pheromone Receptor-Derived Peptide Biosensor for Efficient Monitoring of the Cotton Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera

“…In particular, monitoring the population dynamics is essential for timely and effective pest management. 5 At present, the methods for the detection of H. armigera as well as other pests include crop investigation, field sampling, and sexual trap, 6 which are inconvenient and laborintensive. A method with low cost, quick response, high accuracy, and real-time monitoring capability is highly desirable for the efficient control of pests such as H. armigera.…”

“…Early detection and monitoring of pests are important to control the infestation. In particular, monitoring the population dynamics is essential for timely and effective pest management . At present, the methods for the detection of H.…”