Blister Beetles on Glandless Cotton1

Abstract

The rapid pace set by plant breeders in incorporating the glandless character in commercial cotton has concerned some entomologists, who think that such a character may create greater insect problems than currently exist with the present glanded varieties. Bottger et al. (1964) reported greater susceptibility in a glandless experimental line 30-8 than in glanded Acala or Pima varieties to beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner); bollworm, Heliotliis zea (Boddie); black fleahopper, Spanogonicus albafasciatus (Reuter); cutworms (undetermined spp.); pill bugs (Porcellio spp.); and grape colaspis beetle, Maecolaspis flavida (Say). In addition, in 1964 we observed greater susceptibility in several glandless experimental lines than in their glanded parents to the cotton leafworm Alabama argillacea (Hüibner); bollworm; grape colaspis; and another Chrysomelidae identified as Gastrophysa cyanea (Melch). The Japanese beetle, Popilla japonica Newman, also has been recently reported by Lee4 (1964, personal communication) to damage leaves of glandless test lines extensively at Rocky Mount Experiment Station.