| Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders)) is the major insect pest plaguing cotton production in the United States. The infestation of previously uninfested cotton occurs when the insect migrates into the area. Pink bollworm is a larval feeder and therefore this study shows there is a trace metal "fingerprint" indicative of the location or host from which it originates.;The techniques and procedures outlined in this study will be used as the basis for future programs by the United States Department of Agriculture. In addition, this work will be used to establish investigations of many other insect pests plaguing the agricultural world.;Characterization of this "fingerprint" was achieved by individual multi-elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. An analysis scheme was established and tested for analysis of insect tissues. The determination of the characteristic "fingerprint" from several different locations was achieved utilizing multivariant statistics. |
