The corn earworm moth, Helicoverpa zea, is a major crop pest in Colorado and the rest of the USA. This pest species recently hybridized with an old world cousin, Helicoverpa armigera, in South America. About 30% of corn earworms in the USA now have some genes from H. armigera.

Our lab is collaborating with USDA scientists to determine the effects of this genetic introgression (the movement of H. armigera genes into H. zea via hybridization and subsequent natural selection) on the pest management of this major pest species.