ABSTRACT

Heliothine moths were trapped in south Georgia from June to November 2003 using pheromone baited wire-traps. Corn earworm traps were located in Berrien, Colquitt, Irwin, and Turner Counties from early June to late October/early November. Tobacco budworm traps were placed in Berrien, Colquitt, and Irwin Counties and monitored from early- to mid-July until 24 October. Traps for both moths were placed at five different crop interfaces: 1) Bt cotton/Bt cotton, 2) Bt cotton/non-Bt cotton, 3) Bt cotton/Corn, 4) Bt cotton/Peanuts, and 5) Bt cotton/Soybeans. Moths in traps were counted and pheromone lure replaced weekly. The pheromone trap data failed to demonstrate any consistent relationship between the abundance of either species of heliothine moth (corn earworm and tobacco budworm) and makeup of the Bt cotton/crop interface. Location (county) did appear to affect the number of moths trapped – more corn earworm moths were captured in Irwin County than in the other counties. Irwin County yielded 29,537 corn earworm moths and 15,679 tobacco budworm moths. Berrien County numbers were 12,778 and 9,028 while Colquitt County had 10,411 and 15,535. Turner County had 12,800 corn earworm moths.