First Record of Occurrence of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Soybean in Uruguay

Abstract

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous species, in quarantine pest status in Uruguay, that has been reported in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and more recently, in the neighboring contries of South America. This is the first confirmed report for H. armigera in soybean crops, in Uruguay. The identification of this species is difficult because of its taxonomic proximity with other species of Helicoverpa and Heliothis genera. The confirmed identification was made upon external morphological characteristics, male genitalia, and DNA analysis, on adult males captured with pheromone traps and larvae reared in laboratory, collected from soybean fields, from four locations from Flores, Lavalleja, Cerro Largo and Rocha.