Problems associated with pesticide application on the Darling Downs have not been solved by conventional strategies and alternate chemicals. Associated with these chemical use patterns is the development of resistance to insecticides in H. armigera. The use of molecular technologies for identification of Heliothis populations can provide answers to fundamental questions of population movement and development of insecticide resistance. These technologies will be applied in area wide management strategies presently under investigation in DAQ442 and in DAQ364 and from other recently developed Area Wide Management programs outside the Darling Downs. The proposed work will give precise information about local recruitment and migration of H. armigera and H. punctigera by providing an ability to track and study seasonal cohorts at a property management unit level. The microsatellite markers developed in UQ117 detect local population recruitment. It is now possible to measure local population recruitment and migration. The thrust of this project is to monitor local recruitment and the extent of migration over a further three growing seasons. The project will also begin the process of determining the source of migrating Heliothis populations. It is expected that this project will provide several major outputs.