Relative Abundance and Host Preferences of Cabbage Looper, 1 Soybean Looper, 1 Tobacco Budworm, 1 and Corn Earworm 1 on Crops Grown in Northern Florida 2

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The relative abundance and host plant preferences of cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), and corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), were studied in field cage and field experiments in Northern Florida. Results indicated relatively strong preferences of the test species for certain crops. Cabbage loopers were more abundant than soybean loopers and showed a strong preference for cabbage and collards over 21 other crops. Soybeans were the preferred host of the soybean looper, but substantial numbers of larvae were found on peanuts and tomatoes in the field. Both species readily oviposited on cockleburs in the presence of other host plants in a small field cage, and 4 other species of Plusiinae were found attacking crops in the field. Tobacco budworms were more abundant on tobacco and okra than on other crops in the field, and became abundant on okra only after tobacco was removed from the cropping system. Also, small numbers of tobacco budworm were found on cabbage, collards, peanuts, white clover, and tomatoes. In addition, substantial numbers of eggs and a few larvae were found on tomatoes in field cages. Corn earworms appeared to prefer corn, sorghum, and millet over other crops in the field, but infestations of this species were found on 18 of 21 crops tested. Also, a field cage test indicated that com earworms preferred tomatoes over other crops such as bell peppers, bush beans, cabbage, cigar-wrapper tobacco, collards, and soybeans.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: