HELIOTHIS-VIRESCENS (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE) - ANALYSIS OF POPULATION RESPONSES FOLLOWING INTRODUCTION OF BACKCROSSED INSECTS AGAINST NATIVE POPULATIONS ON ST-CROIX, UNITED-STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS

Studied the potential for suppressing populations of the tobacco budworm by releasing backcrossed insects that possessed an inherited male sterility derived from the hybridization of H. subflexa and H. virescens. This degree of sterility within the native tobacco budworm reduced the larval population on Bastardia viscosa >80% and prevented population increase on pigeon pea Cajanus cajan. The backcrossed phenotype became extinct within 5 yr of the last release, apparently because of genetic drift and selection. -from Authors