Helicoverpa armigera
Also known as: Old World bollworm
Abbreviation: N/A
Cotton bollworm is present in: central and southern Europe, temperate Asia and Africa, Australia, Oceania, Brazil, South America, and the Caribbean.
Cotton bollworm is a pest of the following plants: corn, cotton, small grains, soybeans, peppers, and tomatoes.
Evidence of cotton bollworm damage includes: damaged bolls, premature falling, inferior quality lint. Secondary disease results from bore hole damage and opportunistic pathogens (fungi, bacterial, viral).
CBP Agriculture Specialists, please refer to manuals for general inspection guidelines. When performing inspections, look for signs of internal feeders and pest damage such as frass.
In general, look for frass, entrance holes, leaf defoliation, and other signs of feeding damage. Eggs are small (~0.5 mm dia.) and subspherical (dome-shaped with a slightly flattened bottom), usually laid singularly near buds, flowers, fruits, or on leafy plant parts.
Inspect inside cargo containers and commodity boxes for larvae and adults. Cotton Bollworm has been intercepted throughout the year, with no specific peak months. The Prioritized Offshore Pest List (OPIS) lists cotton bollworm as an “A” rated pest; therefore, CBP Agriculture Specialists should inspect carefully for Lepidoptera larvae/adults.
Mature larvae are around 3–4 cm long and have extremely variable patterns and coloration, varying from shades of green, straw-yellow, pinkish- to reddish-brown, or even black.
Larval stages of cotton bollworm and non-quarantine H. zea (nonquarantine significant) are nearly identical, thus past identification expectations based on origin should be validated by submission of all interceptions.
