Identificación molecular de Helicoverpa armígera (Noctuidae: Heliothinae) en el departamento de Amambay, Paraguay

The Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae: Heliothinae) is a polyphagous and cosmopolitan pest distributed throughout South America. The objective of this research was to identify by PCR-RFLP molecular analysis, the presence of H. armigera in the Amambay region in Paraguay. Delta traps with sexual pheromone were deployed in the 2016/2017 season soybean crop distributed at the following locations: Pedro Juan Caballero, Zanja Pyta, Capitan Bado, Karapa’ĩ and Bella Vista Norte. Sampling cloth was used for collecting caterpillars. The collected specimens were sorted by external morphological characters, individualized in labeled jars containing pure alcohol. 24 samples were sent to the Arthropods Molecular Ecology Laboratory ESALQ/USP for identification by PCR-RFLP molecular analysis. Ten specimens of H. armigera belonging to Fortuna and Zanja Pyta were identified. Ten other specimens were identified as H. zea belonging to Cerro Cora'i, Captain Bado, Cerro Kuatia and Karapa’ĩ. The remaining four samples did not amplify by PCR-RFLP. The analysis revealed the occurrence of H. armigera in soybean and maize crops in the northern region of Paraguay.