Overview

• Swiss Agroscope trap network recorded more cotton bollworm moths in late June than at the same time in 2024
• Tomato growers south of the Alps have reported the first bollworm damage of the season, marking an earlier outbreak
• Helicoverpa armigera larvae infest over 100 plant species including beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers and sweetcorn, posing a broad threat to arable and vegetable crops
• Germany still lacks systematic monitoring even as individual moths turn up as far north as Hannover and Berlin without evidence of local overwintering
• Researchers attribute the pest’s northward advance to climate warming and warn that coordinated surveillance and timely insecticide application are critical to prevent establishment