Abstract
The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), was recently introduced in Brazil. During the 2012-2013 harvest, producers reported reduced yields up to 35% on major crops. The economic losses reached US$ 1 billion only in western Bahia, triggering a phytosanitary crisis. The deficiencies in existing taxonomic keys to deal with the morphologically indist…