Mating of Female Tobacco Budworms and Bollworms Collected from Light Traps12

Abstract

Tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F), and bollworm, H. zea (Boddie), moths were collected from 7 insect traps equipped with black light lamps during a 6-month period and dissected so a count of spermatophores be used to determine the number of matings of individual females. Both species most frequently mated 1 time, but some mated as many as 6 times. Unmated bollworm moths had more fat and more nonchorionated eggs than mated moths, and the percentage of chorionated eggs found in the lateral oviducts increased as the number of matings increased. The percentage of captured bollworms that were females ranged from 66.6 to 81.2% for a season could al average of 72.8%; 89.9% of the tobacco budworms collected were females. The bollworm showed a definite decrease in the percentage of mated moths between June 1 and Aug. 1.