Attraction of Dispersing Boll Weevils from Surrounding Habitats Relative to Simulated Pheromone Diffusion from TRAPS

Effective pheromone traps significantly contribute to the success of boll weevil eradication.  However, new information is needed to aid in the interpretation of trap captures, such as identification of habitats from which boll weevils are likely to disperse to the pheromone traps.  A model was developed in the ModelBuilder modeling environment of ArcGIS to estimate daily pheromone plume diffusion from traps placed along the perimeter of a cotton field at Rio Hondo, TX.  In turn, we summarized weekly composites of daily estimated plumes and overlaid the plumes on a geo-referenced satellite image of the cotton field and surrounding landscape.  Trap data were regressed with the spatial plume coverage relative to landscape feature classes.  Relationships between weevil trap data and pheromone plumes may lead eradication program managers to consider strategic changes in trapping protocols for specific locales.