Pink Bollworm

Common: Pink Bollworm

Scientific: Pectinophora gossypiella

Crop Hosts: Cotton

Identification and Life Cycle: The nocturnal, adult pink worm is mottled gray to brown and measures 3/4-inch across the wings. The female lays 200 to 400 eggs singly or in small groups all over the cotton plant. The eggs hatch in 3 to 5 days and the larvae promptly bore into squares or bolls consuming lint and seeds. After about 13 days the mature larvae fall to the ground and pupate on surface trash. There are 3 to 5 generations per year. The insect overwinters as diapaused larvae, which usually emerge in the spring but under adverse conditions can live in the soil for two-and-a-half years.

Geographical Distribution: Found in all cotton-growing areas in the Southwest and western United States.

Damage and treatment: The pink bollworm is "one of the world's most destructive insects." The larvae bore into squares causing them to fall, and as the plant matures, the larvae attack the bolls, making the lint unpickable and greatly reducing yield of oil.

Treatment should be made when insect populations and/or damage levels reach economic thresholds. Refer to local University Extension Pest Management Guidelines for specific state thresholds.