Pectinophora

Pectinophora
Pink bollworm larvae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Subfamily:	Pexicopiinae
Genus:	Pectinophora Busck, 1917

Pectinophora is a genus of moth in the family Gelechiidae. Perhaps the best known species is the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). P. gossypiella is one of the world's most destructive insect pests that causes terrible damage to cotton bolls. The larvae (caterpillars) bore into the squares, causing them to fall or the blossoms to fail to open. The larvae tunnel through the immature lint and into the seeds eating them. As a result the lint may be unpickable or so stunted as to greatly lower the yield and grade. The yield of oil from the seeds is greatly reduced. Double seeds are found when the cotton is gained, two partly eaten seeds being fastened together.

Species

Species of this genus include:

• Pectinophora endema Common, 1958 (from Australia)
• Pectinophora fusculella (Pagenstecher, 1900) (from New Guinea)
• Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders 1844) (paleotropical distribution) - pink bollworm
• Pectinophora scutigera (Holdaway, 1926) (from Australia/New Guinea)