About Pectinophora gossypiella

The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming. The adult is a small, thin, gray moth with fringed wings. The larva is a dull white caterpillar with eight pairs of legs with conspicuous pink banding along its dorsum. The larva reaches one half inch in length.

The female moth lays eggs in a cotton boll, and when the larvae emerge from the eggs, they inflict damage through feeding. They chew through the cotton lint to feed on the seeds. Since cotton is used for both fiber and seed oil, the damage is twofold. Their disruption of the protective tissue around the boll is a portal of entry for other insects and fungi.

Picture credit: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 us via Wikimedia Commons (Image source)

Taxonomy ID 13191

(Text from Wikipedia.)

More information General information about this species can be found in Wikipedia

Taxonomy ID 13191

Data source United States Department of Agriculture

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