Abundance of 'Helicoverpa' host plants in inland Australia before and after the Millennium Drought

Abstract

A thirty year study of the ecology of 'Helicoverpa' spp. in inland Australia (see abstract for the presentation by Peter Gregg) has provided a comprehensive picture of short and long term changes in host plant abundance in different inland habitats (floodplains, grasslands, acacia shrublands, chenopod shrublands, sandy deserts and stony downs). The presence or absence of known host plants for Helicoverpa spp. was recorded at over 3,300 randomly selected sites in inland Australia. The Millenium Drought in 2001-2009 which severely affected southeast Australia(Van Dijk et al. 2013, Water Resour. Res.,49, 1040-1057) significantly affected host plant abundance in the acacia shrublands and to a lesser extent in the grasslands.