What is the Pink Bollworm?

Feb. 27, 2023

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recently approved confined field trials for Pink Bollworm-resistant GM cotton in Hisar, Haryana

About Pink Bollworm:

  • It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
  • Scientific name: Pectinophora gossypiella
  • Distribution: Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.
  • Description:
    • The adults are small moths about 3/8 inch long and are dark brown with markings on the fore wing.
    • The larval stage is the destructive and identifiable stage.
    • The larvae have distinctive pink bands and can reach a length of ½ inches right before they pupate.
  • Ecological Threat:
    • Pink bollworms are major pests of cotton
    • Adults only last for 2 weeks, but females will lay 200 or more eggs.
    • Adults lay eggs on cotton bolls; once hatched, the larvae eat the seeds and damage the fibers of the cotton, reducing the yield and quality
    • When the larvae mature, they cut out the boll and drop to the ground and cocoon near the soil surface. 
    • It has also been observed to attack hibiscus, okra, and hollyhock plants.