Infestation phenology and survival of the banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham

The phenology of emergence, flight, and oviposition of the banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham, was studied in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Life tables were prepared for two generations of C. hospes in a sunflower field. In addition, the morphology of fifth instar C. hospes was described.; The phenology of C. hospes emergence and flight activity varied among years, and peaks in both emergence and flight activity usually occurred 1-3 days after rains. C. hospes appeared approximately one week earlier in pheromone traps than in windowpane traps. Densities of C. hospes adults in the interior of fields remained low throughout the oviposition period, but densities of adults in weedy vegetation along field borders were highest when oviposition activity peaked.; Life tables were prepared for the 1986-87 and the 1987-88 generations of C. hospes. Total mortality from egg to fourth instar in capitula was 8.9% during 1986-87 and 22.1% during 1987-88. Mortality in capitula was due primarily to egg predation by Orius tristicolor (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and desiccation of first instars on involucral bracts. Mortality of eggs and larvae in capitula was positively correlated with egg density during 1987-88.; Total mortality of overwintering fifth instars was 82.0% during 1986-87 and 67.0% during 1987-88. Approximately 40% of the hibernacula of overwintering larvae were killed by predators, primarily ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The parasitoid Glypta (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) killed 7.0% of overwintering larvae during 1986-87 and 13.5% during 1987-88. Winter mortality was 11.4% during 1986-87 and 2.0% during 1987-88. Pupal mortality was 92.5% during 1986-87 and 84.7% during 1987-88 and was due largely to predation and Glypta. parasitism.; The life tables illustrate the importance of egg predation by O. tristicolor, parasitism of larvae and pupae by Glypta, and predation of overwintering larvae and pupae by ground beetles in reducing populations of C. hospes.