Not candidate

Cotton is one of the 12 hosts listed for this pest. The life cycle does not normally include a stage which includes infestation of pure seeds, except in some cases where under cool dry conditions larvae may undergo diapause in a small cocoon contaminating stored seed. Normally eggs are deposited on or near the cotton bolls at the time of flowering, larvae emerge, entering the cotton bolls where they feed internally. After this they emerge from the boll and pupate in the ground, and adults emerge after about 9 days. Under optimal conditions, the entire life cycle is completed in 25-31 days and there may be a number of generations per year (CABI, 2016). There appears to be no information in the literature on the levels of infestation found in processed seed stocks. However it was suggested that the pink bollworm may have been introduced into Australia and other areas in the early 20th Century in cotton seed (Henneberry & Naranjo 1998), though for well cleaned commercial seed and treated seed containing larvae in cocoons this would appear unlikely. Control methods advised (short-season and resistant cultivars, not forcing regrowth and a second flowering cycle, crop rotation, weed control of other hosts, trap crops and recommendations for harvesting and dealing with crop debris) are reducing the risk of infestation by other pathways in areas where the pest is found (CABI, 2016). As it would be very difficult for the grower to carry out all the preventative control work needed on his and neighbours farms, plants for planting are not considered to be the main pathway for the pest/host/intended combination for this pest in areas where the pest occurs.