This document discusses several major pests that affect cotton crops in India, including the leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula), cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), thrips (Thrips tabaci), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), and mealy bug (Phenacoccus solani). For each pest, it describes key details like appearance, life cycle, damage symptoms, and management strategies. It emphasizes the importance of integrated pest management using cultural, biological, and chemical controls to minimize pest impacts on cotton crops.

2. Dept. of (Ag). Entomology
Presented by
RAKESH KR. MEENA
15MSENT014
M.Sc. (Ag). Entomology

4. (Gossipium hirsutum)
Introduction
It is white gold.
It is also backbone of textile industry.
It’s contributes 7% of GDP our country.
It is providing employment to 60 million people in India.
45% world’s fiber need is met from cotton.
10% of world’s edible oil is met from cotton.

5. IMPORTANCE OF COTTON
It is cultivated primarily for lint.
Raw cotton is also used for medical and surgical purpose.
Linters are used cushions, pillows etc.
Linters Also used for high grade paper, rayon, films, explosives.
Seed crushed for edible oil.
Cakes and meals are excellent cattle feed.

6. 1. Leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula )
2. Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii)
3. Thrips (Thrips tabaci)
4. Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
5. Mealy bug (Phenacoccus solani)
1
2
3
45

7. Order: Hemiptera
Family: Cicadellidaes
Distribution and status:
Major pest in all
Host range:
Cotton, potato, brinjal, castor, bhendi, tomato and sunflower.
Leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula )

8. Damage symptoms:
Both the nymphs and adults suck sap from the under surface of
leaves.
Tender leaves turn yellow, leaf margins curl downwards .
In the case of severe infestation leaves get a bronze or brick red
colour which is typical “hopper burn”. Crop growth retarded.

9. Adult Nymph
Damaged leaf

10. The adult is wedge-shaped
about 2 mm. long and pale
green in colour.
The front wings have a
black spot on their posterior
parts.
The nymphs are wingless
and are found in large number
on the lower surfaces of
leaves. They walk in diagonal
directions of their body

11. Life cycle
Adult green and wedge shaped, lay eggs singly within leaf veins.
Incubation period 4-11 days.
Nymph light green and translucent found between the veins of
leaves on the under surface.
Nymphal period 7-21 days. Nymphs moult five times.
Life cycle is completed in 15-46 days.
Eleven generations are known to occur in a year.

12. Management
Early sowing and close spacing of cotton reduces pest infestation
particularly if the rainfall is heavy.
Setup light trap to monitor the broods of leaf hopper and to attract
and kill.
Release predators viz., Chrysopa carnea.
Spray monocrotophos 36 SL @ 1000 ml/ha and NSKE 5% @ 25
kg/ha or 750 ml endosulfan 35 EC in 1000 L of water per hectare.

13. Order: Hemiptera
Family: Aphididae
Distribution and status:
India, occasionally serious.
Host range:
Cotton, bhendi, brinjal, chillies, guava
Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii )

14. Damage symptoms:
They suck the sap and cause stunted growth, gradual drying
resulting in death of the plants.
In case of severe infestation black sooty mold develops on
honeydew secreted by aphids.
Due to honeydew Photosynthesis is reduced.
Leaf turns down ward curl.
In cloudy weather the infestation is higher

15. Damage symptoms:
Development of black sooty mould due to the excretion of honey dew gives
the plant, a dark appearance.

17. The aphids are greenish brown, soft bodied and small insects.
Apterous females multiply parthenogenitically and viviparously.
A single female may produce 8-22 nymphs in a day which become
adults in about 7-9 days.
Population increase in cloudy weather and in more than 80 % RH

18. Life cycle
Apterous females multiply parthenogenitically and viviparously.
A single female may produce 8-22 nymphs in a day which become
adults in about 7-9 days.

19. Management
Monitor the nymphs and adults of early season sucking pests from
the 14th day after sowing.
Spray any of the following insecticides with 500 L
water/ha.
NSKE 5% kg/ha or Azadirachtin 0.03%.500ml
Methyl demeton 500 ml.
Imidacloprid 17.8 SL 100 -125 ml.
Thiacloprid 21.7 SC 100-125 ml

20. Thrips (Thrips tabaci)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: hysanoptera
Family:Thripidae
Genus : Thrips
Species : tabaci

21. Thrips are small hemimetabolic insects with a distinctive cigar-
shaped.
They are elongated with transversely constricted bodies .
They range in size from 0.5 to 14 millimetres. but most thrips are
about 1 mm in length.
Thrips have asymmetrical mouthparts that are also unique to the
group.
Unlike the Hemiptera the right mandible of thrips is reduced and
vestigial.
The maxillary stylets and hypopharynx are inserted into the
opening to drain cellular fluid.

23. DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS:
Found world-wide and is found throughout India as a major
pest of cotton.
HOST RANGE:
Cotton, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, tobacco, tomato,
cucumber, brinjal, tea, pine apple, chillies, tomato, radish,
grapes, garlic, onion, etc.

24. DAMAGE SYMPTOMS:
Both nymph and adult lacerate the tissue and suck the sap from
the upper and lower surface of leaves.
in cases of severe infestation they curl upward and become
crumbled.
Heavy feeding on seedlings gives the plants a silvery appearance.
In severe infestations, the terminal buds may be killed.

25. Silvery appearance

26. LIFE CYCLE
The adults are slender, yellowish brown and measure about 1 mm
in length.
Males wingless, females have long, narrow strap-like wings.
Nymphs resemble the adults in shape and colour but are wingless
and slightly smaller.
This pest is active throughout the year, on breeds of garlic and
onion from November to May.
Migrates to cotton and other summer host plants and breeds till
September.
In October it is found on cabbage and cauliflower.

27. The adult female lives for 2-4 weeks.
Adult female lays 50-60 kidney shaped eggs singly in slits made in
leaf tissue with its sharp ovipositors.
Egg period 4-9 days.
Nymphs pass through two stages and are full fed in 4-6 days.
After which they descend to the ground and pupate at a depth of
about 25 mm.
The pre-pupal and pupal stages last 1-2 and 2-4 days, respectively.
Several generations are completed in a year.

28. 4-9 days
4-6days
Pre pupa
1-2 days
2-4 days
2-4 weeks

29. MANAGEMENT
Monitor the nymphs and adults from the 14th day after sowing.
Use neem coated urea to reduce the infestation of the pest.
Install sky blue colour sticky traps@ 25/ha.
Spray 625 ml of malathion 50 EC or methyl demeton 25 EC.
Spray dimethoate 30 EC or moncrotphos 36 SL 500 ml to750 ml in
500 to 750 L of water per ha as soon as the pest appears. A waiting
period of 7 days should be observed, before harvest.

30. Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order:Hemiptera
Family:Aleyrodidae
Genus : Bemisia
Species : tabaci

31. DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS:
India, Sri Lanka,West Africa, Japan and Europe
HOST RANGE:
Cotton, tomato, tobacco, sweet potato, cassava, cabbage,
cauliflower, melon, brinjal and bhendi.

32. DAMAGE SYMPTOMS:
Nymphs and adults suck the sap from the under surface of leaves.
Severe infestation results in premature defoliation, development
of sooty mould, shedding of buds and poor boll opening.
It also transmits the leaf curl virus disease of cotton.
The insect is highly polyphagous.

33. Eggs

34. Adult is a minute insect with yellow body covered with a white
waxy bloom.
Eggs are laid on leaves. Egg period is three days.
Nymph is greenish yellow oval in outline.
Nymphal period is 5-33 days in summer, 17-73 days in winter.

36. MANAGEMENT
Timely sowing with recommended spacing, preferably wider
spacing is essential, avoid late sowing.
Avoid the alternative cultivated host crops of the whitefly (Brinjal,
bhendi, tomato and tobacco) in the vicinity of the cotton crop.
Grow cotton only once in a year either in winter or summer season
in any cotton tract.
Adopt crop rotation with non-preferred hosts such as sorghum and
maize etc., to check the build up of the pest.

37. MANAGEMENT
Spray NSKE 5% and neem oil 5 ml or fish oil rosin soap at 1 kg /
40 L of water
Spray any of the following insecticides with 500 L water/ha.
Imidacloprid 17.8 SL 100 -125 ml.
Ethion 50 EC 1. 5-2.0 kg.
Triazophos 40 EC 1.5-2 L.

38. Mealy bug (Phenacoccus solani)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family:Pseudococcidae
Genus : Phenacoccus
Species : solani

39. DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS:
Recently in India the cotton crop in Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
and Gujarat is being seriously infested with mealy bug
HOST RANGE:
Mealy bug is a polyphagous pest.
It feeds on Ornamental plants, fruit crops, vegetables and field
crops.

40. Nature of damage:
 Growing points become stunted
and swollen
Thick mat with waxy secretion on over
the plants
 Honey dew secretion and develop
black sooty mould
 Both nymphs and adult suck cell sap
 Causing withering and yellowing of
leaves
 Heavy infestation can defoliation and
even death of plants
 It affect the development of flowers
and stems
 In cotton, retarded growth and late
opening of bolls
 Inject saliva that caused curling &
contortion of leaves

42. 42
Mealy bug
Biology:
• It reproduce mostly through Parthenogenesis
• Female lay eggs in cluster on twigs, branches,
• It Contain 600 eggs
• In some species, eggs hatch within the female
and give births live larvae

43. Management
Management:
Cultural & Mechanical:
 construct physical barriers like (ants fences)
Remove Crop residues & grasses.
 Field boarders should be weed free and free from debris
 Remove alternate hosts of mealy bug
 Manual picking of bugs
 Apply strong jet of water to remove
 Apply sticky bands like Track-trap to prevent crawlers

44. 44
Mealy bug
• Apply methyl parathion 2% dust @ 25 kg/ha in soil
and cultivate.
• In standing crop, apply chloropyriphos @ 2 l/ha
through irrigation.
• Apply methyl parathion 2% dust @ 25 kg/ha on field
boundaries/buds.
• Collect & destroy the leaves/parts of infested plants
and spray any systemic insecticides on those plants.
• Uproot and destroy heavily infested plants carefully
and apply methyl parathion 2% dust on those spots.
Control measures:

45. Integrated Pest Management of cotton pests

46. Cultural Control:
Cultivation of sucking pests tolerant genotypes (Bt-cotton or
non Bt) to help in delay the first spray, thereby conserving the
initial buildup natural enemies.
Intercrops like cowpea, sunflower, marigold, blackgram, to
enhance natural enemies activity and to serve as trap crops.
Regular monitoring of pest after sowing of crop.
Destruction of cotton stalks after final picking is over.
Clean cultivation destroy alternate weed hosts growing on the
field buds

47. Biological Control:
Release of Trichogramma chelonis @ 10 cc/ha in 40 bits/cc or
1,50,000 per hectare.
Conservation of spiders, anthocorids for bollworms management.
Release of Chrysoperla larvae @ 1 larva per plant

48. 48
CHRYSOPERLA
Adult
Larva feeding on Aphid
Egg
Larvae

49. 49
Lady Bird Beetle
• Adult & larva both
feed on Aphids.
• During larval stage it
consumes 900 –1000
aphids

50. 50
Chemical Control:
The pesticides should be used when absolutely necessary following the
ETL of the major pests.
ETLs:
Aphids : 20 % infested plants
: 5 aphid / leaf
Jassid: 5 jassids/ leaf or
: 50 jassids / 50 leaves or
: Grade 2 in a scale of 0-4
Thrips : 50 thrips/ 50 leaves or
: 15 % infested plants
Whitefly: 5 whitefly / leaf or
: 20 nymphs/ leaf or
: 10 adults / leaf counted before 9.00 a.m.
Note: When natural enemies are abundantly present, the ETL should be
reaching double of the above figure before application of pesticides.

51. 51
synthetic insecticidesIntegrated Pest Management ( I P M )
Sr.
No.
Insecticides Dose For which type of insect
pests
1 Monocrotophos36 WSC 0.04% Sucking type
2 Endosulfan 35 EC 0.07% Chewing type
3 Acephate 75 SP 0.075% Sucking type
4 Carbaryl 50 WP 0.2% Chewing type
5 Quinalphos 25 EC 0.05% Chewing type
6 Profenophos 50 EC 0.05% Sucking type (thrips)
7 Chlorpyriphos 25 EC 0.04% Chewing type
8 Triazophos 35 EC 0.04% Sucking type (thrips)
9 Methyl O Demeton 25 EC 0.025% Sucking type
10 Dichlorvos (DDVP) 76 EC 0.05% Sucking type
11 Dimethoate 30 EC 0.03% Sucking type
12 Phenthoate 50 EC 0.1% Sucking type (Mite, Mealy
bug)
13 Fenvalerate 20 EC 0.02% Chewing type
14 Cypermethrin 10 & 25 EC 0.02% Chewing type
15 Deltamethrin 2.8 EC 0.0028% Chewing type & jassid

52. References
Insect pest management in cotton (visit cotton cooperative research centre
(CRC) website-www.daf.qld.au/../cotton
Tips on cotton insect pest for production of good quality cotton. Published
by, B.M. Khadi, Director of central institute for cotton research ,March 2007
Cotton Aphids and Cotton Bunchy Top 14 Mar 08 (Compiled by the CSD
Extension and Development Team)
Ermias Shonga, Kemal Ali and Ferdu Azrefegne (2013). Effect of
Insecticide Rotation and Mixtures Use forResistance Management on Cotton
Aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in Middle Awash Areas of
Ethiopia. Vol.3 (7).pp.569-578.
ADVANCE IN COTTON IPM. Authours K.R kranthi and et al., published
by Central institute for cotton research

53. References
• K. Natarajan Principal Scientist, Central Institute for Cotton Research,Regional
Station, Coimbatore – 641 003, MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURALLY IMPORTANT
SUCKING PESTS OF COTTON.