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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302323
Title: Attraction of dispersing boll weevils from surrounding habitats relative to simulated pheromone diffusion from traps

Author
item Westbrook, John
item Suh, Charles
item Eyster, Ritchie

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2014
Publication Date: 4/21/2014
Citation: Westbrook, J.K., Suh, C.P., Eyster, R.S. 2014. Attraction of dispersing boll weevils from surrounding habitats relative to simulated pheromone diffusion from traps. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences. p. 858-862.

Interpretive Summary: The ability to detect populations of boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis (Boheman), with pheromone traps has contributed significantly in progress toward eradication of the boll weevil. However, new information is needed to aid in the interpretation of trap captures, such as identification of habitats from which boll weevils likely dispersed to the pheromone traps. A model was developed in the ModelBuilder modeling environment of ArcGIS using weather data to estimate daily pheromone plume diffusion from traps placed along the perimeter of a cotton field at Rio Medina, TX. In turn, we summarized weekly composites of daily estimated plumes and overlaid the plumes on a geo-referenced satellite image of the cotton field and surrounding landscape features. Trap data were regressed with the spatial plume coverage relative to landscape feature classes. Relationships between weevil trap data and pheromone plumes may lead eradication program managers to consider strategic changes in trapping protocols for specific locales.

Technical Abstract: The ability to detect populations of boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis (Boheman), with pheromone traps has contributed significantly in progress toward eradication of the boll weevil. However, new information is needed to aid in the interpretation of trap captures, such as identification of habitats from which boll weevils likely dispersed to the pheromone traps. A model was developed in the ModelBuilder modeling environment of ArcGIS using weather data to estimate daily pheromone plume diffusion from traps placed along the perimeter of a cotton field at Rio Medina, TX. In turn, we summarized weekly composites of daily estimated plumes and overlaid the plumes on a geo-referenced satellite image of the cotton field and surrounding landscape features. Trap data were regressed with the spatial plume coverage relative to landscape feature classes. Relationships between weevil trap data and pheromone plumes may lead eradication program managers to consider strategic changes in trapping protocols for specific locales.