| Abstrakt: |
Timing and magnitude of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), emergence was measured in a corn, Zea mays (L.), field near College Station, TX. Approximately 15,500 H. zea per hectare were produced, with 85% of the moths emerging in a 10-d interval. Feeding H. zea moths were observed to be highly attracted to honeydew exudates of egrot, Claviceps paspali (F. L. Stevens & J. G. Hall) on infected florets of dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum (Poir.) in an adjacent pasture. Moths began feeding on the ergot at dusk. Feeding densities increased rapidly to peak at <1 h after sunset and then declined to relatively low levels by 2 h after sunset. Dissection analyses of sampled females showed that 95% were unmated, indicating that the characteristic age of the feeding moths was =1 d. |
