Abstract: A comparative study was conducted on the efficiency of the cone trap (80 cm×50 cm) and the water tray trap (28～30 cm×10 cm) baited with synthetic sex pheromone for capturing male moths of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), at 4 locations in Shandong and Anhui provinces in 1995. The results showed that the male captures per trap per night at cone traps were 2.8, 3.5, 2.5 and 2.0 times(2.7 times in average) as many as that at water tray traps at 4 observed locations, respectively; the coefficients of variance (CV) between the two traps were 22.9%, 31.5%, 50.7 and 51.2%, .respectively. It is obvious that the cone trap was more effective and reliable than the water tray trap. Based on its higher efficiency, stability and feasibility, the authors recommend utilizing an improved cone trap to replace the water tray trap in the nationwide monitoring program in China as soon as possible.

Key words: Helicoverpa armigera, pheromone, cone trap, water tray trap