An automatic moth detection system was more than 98% accurate in detecting either male bollworm (corn earworm) moths, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), near corn or tobacco budworm moths, Heliothis virescens (F.), near cotton that were attracted to pheromone bait during a 6-month growing season from May to October. A network of moth detector units, baited with sex pheromone lures for either species, provided moth occurrence and population density data on a continual basis. A telemetry signal was sent from these detector units each time a moth was detected, and a HQ base receiver and computer tallied the telemetry signals throughout the nighttime hours. Moth detection data reported from automatic detectors installed near crops in the field can be readily interpreted by experienced farm managers, and insect population development and activity can be characterized to determine the need for applications of insecticides. The cost of one or possibly two applications of pesticides could be eliminated by applying these toxins only when the network of moth detectors report the beginning of a sudden or substantial upswing in the moth population.