Japanese honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae): newly discovered host of Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
1994
Pair, S.D.
Flowers of Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica Thunb., were found to support larval populations of tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), in southwestern Georgia and northern Florida. However, larvae were not detected in samples taken during 1990 in southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas. This discovery constitutes a new host record for both H. virescens and H. zea. Studies conducted at 10 different sites in Tift County, Georgia, during 1988-1990 revealed that H. virescens populations peaked on Japanese honeysuckle during the F1 generation of April through May and again during August through September. H. zea larval populations occurred principally during August through September. Peak F1 larval populations of H. virescens on Japanese honeysuckle occurred at the same time as those on crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L., and wild geranium, Geranium carolinianum L. Both H. virescens and H. zea larvae were capable of developing on Japanese honeysuckle flowers in the laboratory. Although survivorship was lower, H. virescens also developed on Japanese honeysuckle leaves and berries. Cardiochiles nigriceps Viereck was the principal species parasitizing H. virescens; parasitism of H. zea was negligible and Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) was the only species detected. M. croceipes was the primary parasitoid of H. virescens and H. zea larvae collected from crimson clover. Results of this study indicate that Japanese honeysuckle is an important early season host of H. virescens and an important late-season host for both H. virescens and H. zea when overwintering populations are developing.
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