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The reproductive maturity and mating status of Helicoverpa armigera, H. punctigera and Mythimna convecta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) collected in tower-mounted light traps in northern New South Wales, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

M. Coombs ,
A. P. Del Socorro ,
G. P. Fitt  and
P. C. Gregg
M. Coombs
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of New England, NSW, Australia
A. P. Del Socorro
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of New England, NSW, Australia
G. P. Fitt
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Entomology, Narrabri, NSW, Australia
P. C. Gregg*
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of New England, NSW, Australia
*
Dr P.C. Gregg, Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, 2351.
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Abstract

The reproductive condition and mating status of female Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), H. punctigera (Wallengren) and the mating status of the armywormMythimna convecta (Walker), trapped in tower-mounted light traps were studied over a four and a half year period, from November 1985 to December 1989. The traps were mounted on towers (40 and 50 m high) in two geographically distinct sites, one located at Point Lookout and the other at Mt Dowe both in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. At the Point Lookout site, 132 females of H. armigera and 366 of H. punctigera were examined and of those, 88.7% and 89.9% were unmated and immature, respectively. Most of the remaining females of both species were mature and mated. Of the matedH. armigerafemales, 78.6% carried only a single spermatophore, the remainder having either two or three spermatophores. Most of the matedH. punctigerafemales (97.1%) carried only a single spermatophore and the remainder had no more than two. Females ofM. convectawere predominantly (97.1%) unmated. At the Mt Dowe siteH. punctigeraadults were predominant and all 44 females of this species examined were unmated and non-gravid. Pre-reproductive flight byHelicoverpaspp. andM. convectais considered as an important component of the life-history strategies of these insects. Flexibility in the timing and spacing of reproductive effort is seen as enabling colonization of heterogeneous environments.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 83 , Issue 4 , December 1993 , pp. 529 - 534
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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