The introduction of transgenic cotton within the cotton industry has allowed for increased yields due to

decreased losses from insect activities. The main pests which have been targeted through the genetic

modification are Helicoverpa punctigera and Helicoverpa armigera. The reduction in the presence of these

two species could have several ecological implications, including an increase in other lepidopteran species

more tolerant to Bt toxins that were previously suppressed by Helicoverpa spp. The results presented in this

report are part of a Masters thesis which will look at the moth communities in Bt cotton and its refuges over

four seasons. The results presented here focus on the 2015/16 season. During this season low numbers of

moths were caught, which matched the low numbers of Helicoverpa caught in the same traps. There was no

difference in the Lepidopteran communities between crops, and in particular Bt and non-Bt cotton. This was

probably due to the low sample sizes, and may also reflect a finding in other cotton communities, that

differences in Bt and non-Bt cotton communities are only found when there is high Helicoverpa pressure.

There was a difference in the number of moths found in pigeon pea and cotton, with more moths found in

cotton in January, and more moths were found in pigeon pea in February. This may reflect the phenology of

the crops where cotton is flowering and probably more attractive in January than February, while pigeon pea

tends to remain attractive and flowering later in the season.