Flight Potential of Pink Bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiellaSaunders (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Abstract

The potential and propensity in flight of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) in the laboratory were measured using a 32-channel, computer-monitored flight-mill system. Females flew significantly farther within a 72-h flight period than did males. The mean accumulated flight distance and flight duration of 1-d-old female individuals in a tethered-flight test were 41.25 ± 7.76 km and 23.87 ± 2.55 h, respectively, whereas for male individuals, the same parameters were 23.46 ± 2.13 km and 14.12 ± 1.12 h. The flight ability of adults was significantly positively correlated with pupal weight. The flight activity of unmated pink bollworm moths increased daily from the time of eclosion, reaching a peak at 3≈5 d and reducing gradually. All the moths could fly normally at 16≈36°C; however, the optimum temperature for flight ranged from 24 to 28°C, whereas the optimum relative humidity ranged from 75 to 90%.