ABSTRACT
Citrus pollen retention rates for adult bollworms are influenced by insect sources and sex. Field-collected insects exhibited higher mean citrus pollen retention rates than laboratory-reared insects exposed to citrus blooms for a 12-hr period. This may be attributed to the unknown age and feeding activity of field-collected insects. However, no differences were observed between sexes of field-collected insects. Laboratory-reared females exhibited higher mean pollen retention rates than males. Citrus pollen was found for both sources and sexes through the 72-hr interval. These data should facilitate documenting movement of bollworm adults through backtracking procedures using natural markers such as citrus pollen.
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