Effect of Release Time on Recovery of Tagged Irradiated Boll Weevils

Irradiated Anthonomus grandis Boheman, tagged with 32P, were hand-released in cotton fields during the morning, noon, and evening. Equal numbers of boll weevils were recovered irrespective of release time. Within 1 day after release, ca. ⅓ of all released weevils had disappeared from the field; by the 4th day, only 38.0% live weevils were recovered. Tagging did not reduce survival of irradiated weevils.