Hel-ID, a unique diagnostic test kit, that identifies both the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.) in the egg stage was developed by Agdia, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana and Mississippi State University (MSU) in 1997. This kit is produced by using species specific monoclonal antibodies developed by Zeng and Ramaswamy, MSU and a proven ELISA method developed by Agdia. Hel-ID was introduced commercially in May 1998. During the early 1999 growing season an unusual pest of cotton was detected with the use of Hel-ID. Numerous incidences from the Mississippi Delta were reported where eggs collected from cotton gave negative test results (80-100%). Hel-ID was identifying tobacco budworm populations, but no identifications were being made for cotton bollworm. The eggs causing the negative results were identified as the granulate cutworm, Feltia subterranea (F.). The incidence showed the importance of egg identification tests. Without the test kit, the granulate cutworm eggs were being identified as cotton bollworm. The misinformation could have resulted in unneeded insecticidal treatments. The negative results from Hel-ID indicated to consultants and producers a species other than cotton bollworm or tobacco budworm was present in cotton, in numbers usually associated with these two species. Everyone using Hel-ID reported saving money by trusting Hel-ID results and not treating in the face of the unknown or "mystery eggs".