ArticlePest management science2026
From flower buds to bolls: how cotton reproductive structures shape boll weevil development, reproduction and survival.
Article in Pest management science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe cotton boll weevil Anthonomus grandis grandis is a major pest in tropical and subtropical cotton crops, where its management relies heavily on insecticide applications. Despite that, the physiological mechanisms enabling survival and reproduction in the tropical off-season remain poorly understood. This study examined host usage, and physiological pathways linking nutrition and reproduction in boll weevils, and how larval and adult food sources affect development, survival and reproduction.
resultsLarvae fed bolls extended developmental time, produced larger adults, accumulated greater lipid reserves and survived longer, particularly if fed pollen when adult, but females exhibited significantly reduced fecundity compared with those developing in flower buds. By contrast, flower bud-fed adults displayed enhanced ovariole development, higher protein content and markedly increased daily egg production. Molecular analysis revealed that vitellogenin (Vg) expression was reduced in females fed on bolls or cotyledons, suggesting nutritional constraints impairing reproductive capacity. Vg expression was 2.5-fold higher in bud-fed females relative to boll-fed counterparts, whereas FOXO expression remained unaffected. These results demonstrate a reproduction-longevity trade-off driven by adult diet quality: flower buds promoted reproductive output, whereas bolls favored lipid storage and extended survival.
conclusionFeeding on cotton flower buds sustains continuous reproduction in A. grandis grandis, whereas boll-based diets reduce vitellogenesis and favor survival through lipid accumulation. This nutritional shift explains how tropical populations persist during host-free periods but resume reproduction once they return to flower bud feeding. The findings highlight the need for strict crop-free intervals and provide a physiological basis for refining integrated management strategies. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.