Sathrobota (Pyroderces) simplexWalsingham (Lepidoptera:Cosmopterygidae): A secondary pest of cotton in Pakistan

The False Pink Bollworm, Sathrobota (Pyroderces) simplex (Walsingham), was observed infesting open cotton bolls during the 1987/88 cotton growing season in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The larvae were, at that time, incorrectly identified as Pink Bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Their presence caused concern, as the area of infestation occurred in a field of cotton which had been treated with pheromone (gossyplure) to control infestation by P. gossypiella. Subsequently identification of the adults in the UK revealed that the majority of the infested bolls contained S. simplex and this was confirmed in trials conducted in the same area during the 1988/89 cotton growing season. This is the first record of S. simplex in Pakistan. The importance of S. simplex as a pest of cotton, and the evaluation of a pheromone formulation for monitoring adult populations, is described. Its significance as a pest of cotton is discussed.