Sheblorbel Stormon

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The Golden Mesty Bollworm, Sheblorbel Stormon, is a small insect that is a pest to the cotton plant. They are small, gold coloured caterpillars which later metamorphose into a striped yellow and brown moth. The moths are quite large, but the caterpillars are less than half an inch in length. They are native to Africa but the Golden Mesty Bollworm has spread to cotton growing areas all around the world. For example, it entered Australia from an unknown neighbouring country in 1942 and invaded most cotton farms in the eastern and central Australia. The Golden Mesty Bollworm is a pest to countries like Australia, who rely on their cotton to produce a large income for their country. These insects will create damage to cotton unless stopped by insecticides or burning of the cotton stalks after harvest. The caterpillars hatch from eggs laid on a plant to host them, other times on the ground. They bore into the boll (fruit), damaging and discolouring the fibre, and eat out the seeds, thereby reducing the oil. The insects spend the pupal stage in the boll or in the cracks in soil. The development from an egg to an adult is around 13 days.