Ecology of Heliothis spp in non-cultivated areas

The contribution of non-cultivated areas to Heliothis spp. populations, and the roles of these areas in the ecology of the species, have been little studied in Australia. Zalucki et aL ( 1986) found at least 183 publications related to H. punctigera and H. armigera during the 30 years to 1986. There were 112 which dealt with specific crop hosts, but only 3 which included non-cultivated hosts. This balance no doubt reflects the priorities of organisations responsible for research on Heliothis spp. in the past, which have of necessity been parochial. The difficulty is that with pests which are highly polyphagous and migratory (Zalucki et aL 1986, Farrow and Daly 1987), such neglect means that we lack understanding of how they are adapted to the Australian environment. Consequently our ability to manage them is limited. In this paper I review recent work in non-cultivated areas and suggest directions for future research.