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Student Regular 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Regular 10-min: P-IE, General 2

Challenging the long-held “pied piper” hypothesis: Evidence of reverse (southward) migration of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) in North America based on stable hydrogen analysis

Sunday, November 9, 2025
2:42 PM - 2:54 PM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, E146, OCC
Oral Presentation

Migration plays an important role in the ecology of insect pests, including Helicoverpa zea, a major agricultural pest responsible for significant damage to multiple crops across the U.S. The long-standing “pied piper” hypothesis proposes that H. zea populations migrate northward each summer to exploit seasonal resources but fail to overwinter in temperate northern regions due to lethal winter conditions, resulting in population loss at higher latitudes. This study investigated the natal origins and migratory connectivity of adult H. zea collected across Florida between 2017 and 2024 using stable hydrogen isotope (δ²H) analysis of wing tissues. Through this approach, we traced the origins of 249 individuals, revealing that most late-season moths originated locally or from southern U.S. regions. However, a distinct subset exhibited isotopic signatures indicative of long-distance migration from northern areas, including the upper Midwest and Corn Belt. Estimated flight distances for these northern migrants ranged from 1,375 to 1,725 km, with dispersal patterns showing a predominant northwest-to-southeast orientation. These findings provide evidence that H. zea populations engage in bidirectional migration, challenging the traditional view that northern regions are solely dependent on annual recolonization from the south. Further understanding of this H. zea reverse migration will have critical implications for integrated pest management (IPM) and insect resistance management (IRM), as it facilitates rapid gene flow and accelerates the spread of resistance traits across broad geographic scales.