Wild Host Plants of the Corn Earworm and the Tobacco Budworm in Eastern North Carolina1

Abstract

Surveys were conducted to determine the species of wild plants utilized as hosts by the corn earworm (Heliothis zea (Boddie)) and the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens (Fabricius)) in eastern North Carolina. In addition, an estimate was made of the abundance of several of these hosts. the abundance of Heliothis larvae on these plants, and mortality factors operating in these communities were investigated Corn earworm and tobacco budworm larvae were collected from 10 species of wild plants. The vast majority were found associated with toad flax (Linaria canadensis var. texana(Steeled) Pennell) and several species of deergrass (Rhexia mariana Linnaeus, Rhexia alifanus Walter, and Rhexia nashii Small). Toadflax serves as an early-season host for both the corn earworm and the tobacco budworm. while the tobacco budworm also occurs on deergrass later in the seasoil The parasites, Campoletis perdistinctus (Viereck) and Netelia sp., were reared from corn earworm larvae associated with toad flax. Cardiochiles nigricep8 Viereck parasitizes tobacco budworm larvae feeding upon deergrass.