Long and Short Range Dispersal of the Pink Bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella over Southern California 12

Abstract

A study was conducted in 1975 to learn more of short and long range dispersal of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). About 170 Sharma traps baited with the sex pheromone, gossyplure, were placed in the desert over southern California encompassing an area of ca. 75,000 km ² . High numbers of moths were captured from short range dispersal in all trap lines in the triangular area between Coachella, Imperial, and Palo Verde Valleys throughout the summer and into the winter. The largest number of moths captured from long range dispersal occurred in the Mojave Desert following 2 wind and rain storms of tropical origin moving northwestward over southern California and into central California. The data show moths are continually flying between cotton fields and over the lower Colorado Desert. This may partially explain why the pink bollworm sex pheromone, when used to confuse mating, often gives poor results in controlling populations in cotton fields.