Survey results for the sugarcane pest, Blastobasis graminea (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae), in Texas and Louisiana in 2002
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Recent discoveries of Blastobasis graminea Adamski (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) in Mexico have prompted interests that this insect pest, originally discovered in South America, may be moving northward. A survey in Texas and Louisiana was conducted in 2002 to determine if B. graminea has extended its range into the U.S. Surveys included five nights of blacklight trapping in Texas and three nights of blacklight trapping plus diurnal surveys of 23 fields in Louisiana. Field surveys in Louisiana included examination not only of sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.) but also of maize, Zea mays L., and sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, as well as non-cultivated gramineous species. We did not collect B. graminea during blacklight trappings nor did we detect it in association with cultivated host species (i.e., sugarcane, maize, and sorghum). We did, however, discover B. graminea in smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora Loisel., in Louisiana in a non-agricultural environment. Finding B. graminea only in cordgrass suggests the possibility that rather than expanding its geographic range, B. graminea may be a widespread tropical species that is expanding its host range from native grasses to sugarcane. Finding B. graminea in Louisiana represents a new U.S. record for the species. Also, from this survey, new U.S. hosts records for Pyroderces badia (Hodges) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) and Dicymolomia julianalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), moths reared from grain sorghum seedheads, are documented.
