Development of the Bait Principle for Boll Weevil Control: Cottonseed Oil, a Source of Attractants and Feeding Stimulants for the Boll Weevil123

Abstract

Boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, made almost as many feeding punctures in agar plugs treated with crude cottonseed oil as in those treated with a water extract of cotton squares (flower buds). In a field-cage experiment, almost 80% of the adult weevil population was attracted to and fed on a paste like bait formulation containing 16% crude cottonseed oil that was applied to vigorously growing cotton plants at a rate of 6-13 gallon per acre. The addition or deletion of a water extract of squares did not produce a detectable difference in the percentage of weevils feeding on the bait. Therefore, crude cottonseed oil is a nearly limitless and inexpensive source of both feeding stimulants and attractants for the boll weevil and can be used to form an effective bait that should provide a new method of control.