Overview of Pest Status, Potential Risk, and Management Considerations of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for U.S. Soybean Production

Abstract

Since its introduction and establishment in Brazil in 2013 and subsequent spread through most of Latin America, the Old World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), has become an economically important pest of soybean, cotton, and other crops. Because this pest can migrate long distances aided by wind currents, it is expected to arrive and establish in the United States. There were reports of H. armigera moth incursions collected in pheromone traps from Puerto Rico and Florida, but no reports yet of field establishment in the United States. Although H. armigera is a polyphagous pest and poses threats to multiple crops, it has shown preference for and is considered a key pest of soybean and cotton in Brazil. Soybean and cotton in Mid-Southern states will be at greater risk for economic loss when this pest establishes in the United States due to similarities of H. armigera with the native sibling species, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (Boddie). Both are polyphagous, could damage the same crops, and have documented cases of resistance. Establishment of H. armigera in the United States presents uncertainty about how the two species may interact in U.S. agroecosystems. Management strategies for H. armigera consist of correct species identification, monitoring and early detection, and determining the susceptibility of populations to multiple control tactics to deploy effective management tools. Although it is expected to be a key pest of soybean and cotton, in this article, we discuss the overview of the potential threats which H. armigera poses to soybean production in Mid-Southern states when it establishes in the United States.