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Insects
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Cotton Pest Management
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Cotton Pest Management

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2026 | Viewed by 2926

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Schetino Bastos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, Brazil
Interests: IPM; pest management; host plant resistance; cultural control
Prof. Dr. Jorge Braz Torres

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Agronomia-Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Recife, Brazil
Interests: insect

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is the principal source of natural fiber in the cotton industry, and is also a source of products such as linter and seeds, which contribute to its extensive cultivation. Cotton is grown in tropical to temperate locations between 30°N and 30°S, where warm summers promote its development. There are various types of cotton grown in over 90 countries, with cropping techniques ranging from low- to high-input technologies. Cotton is a plant that takes a long time to develop, with up to six months elapsing between sowing and harvesting; as a result, it can become infested with a variety of arthropod pests, some of which are common worldwide, while others are particularly significant in specific regions, necessitating both common and specialized pest management strategies. Cotton IPM has evolved through the use of biotechnologies to improve plant resistance to pests, the introduction of novel insecticides and biological control agents, and methods of mitigating pests’ resistance to these management tools.

Therefore, we invite authors to submit research and review articles to this Special Issue of Insects on different levels of cotton IPM for dealing with arthropod pests.

Dr. Cristina Schetino Bastos
Prof. Dr. Jorge Braz Torres
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cotton IPM
  • insecticide resistance
  • biological control
  • organic cotton
  • transgenic cotton

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 540 KB  
Article
Monitoring of Insecticide Resistance and Resistance-Related Point Mutations in Field-Collected Aphis gossypii Populations in the Northern Xinjiang, China
by Yunhao Wang, Wenjie Li, Mei Liu, Renci Xiong, Yongsheng Yao and Wei Wang
Insects 2026, 17(3), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030314 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 496
Abstract
In 2024 and 2025, field populations of Aphis gossypii were collected from eight regions in Xinjiang to monitor their resistance levels to five commonly used insecticides: sulfoxaflor, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, abamectin, and chlorpyrifos. The mutation frequencies of five sites in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene [...] Read more.
In 2024 and 2025, field populations of Aphis gossypii were collected from eight regions in Xinjiang to monitor their resistance levels to five commonly used insecticides: sulfoxaflor, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, abamectin, and chlorpyrifos. The mutation frequencies of five sites in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene (S431F, V332A, A302S, G221A, F139L) and three sites in the β1 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) (R81T, V62I, K264E) were also analyzed. The results showed that from 2024 to 2025, the eight A. gossypii field populations exhibited the highest resistance to imidacloprid (primarily moderate to high resistance), followed by acetamiprid (all moderate resistance). Resistance to abamectin and sulfoxaflor was relatively low, but sulfoxaflor resistance increased rapidly (from low resistance in 2024 to moderate resistance in 2025). All populations remained consistently susceptible to chlorpyrifos. Gene analysis revealed that the mutation rate of S431F in the AChE gene was nearly 100%, while that of V332A remained stable at approximately 30%. The mutation rates of A302S and G221A showed a slight increase, whereas the F139L mutation rate was extremely low (<1.00%). In the β1 subunit of nAChR, the mutation rates of R81T and V62I remained stable at around 50%, and the K264E mutation rate was extremely low (<1.00%). This study clarifies the resistance evolution patterns of A. gossypii to different insecticides and the variation characteristics of key resistance genes in Xinjiang, providing a scientific basis for the integrated resistance management of A. gossypii and the rational selection of effective insecticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cotton Pest Management)
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14 pages, 2014 KB  
Article
Effect of Transgenic Cotton with Bt Event Mpp51Aa2 on Cotton Fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus) During Early Cotton Growth and Resulting Plant Injury
by Malek A. Alwedyan, Pius A. Bradicich, Joshua A. McGinty and Michael J. Brewer
Insects 2026, 17(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030233 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 497
Abstract
The cotton fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter)) is an early-season hemipteran plant bug pest of cotton. In transgenic cotton cultivars, Bt event Mpp51Aa2 (Cry51Aa2) affects some other plant bug species (Hemiptera: Miridae) (we henceforth use the common terminology, stating that these cultivars have [...] Read more.
The cotton fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter)) is an early-season hemipteran plant bug pest of cotton. In transgenic cotton cultivars, Bt event Mpp51Aa2 (Cry51Aa2) affects some other plant bug species (Hemiptera: Miridae) (we henceforth use the common terminology, stating that these cultivars have the ThryvOn trait). Field experiments were conducted in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, to evaluate the responses of four cotton cultivars with and without the ThryvOn trait to cotton fleahopper infestations, comparing them with early-season foliar insecticide applications of flupyradifurone. Naturally occurring cotton fleahopper populations rose to the economic threshold midway through the first four weeks of squaring, when cotton plants are most sensitive to feeding injury, in 2024 and later in the same period in 2025. Flupyradifurone application significantly reduced adult and nymph abundance, resulting in reduced square abscission (2025) and yield protection that was consistent across cultivars in 2024 but more variable in 2025. Cultivars expressing the ThryvOn trait exhibited modest and variable reductions in adult cotton fleahopper abundance (~10–30%), occasionally benefiting from reduced square abscission but not protected yield. The open boll ratio, used to assess maturity delay, was not affected by cultivar or cotton fleahopper pressure. These results indicate that ThryvOn cultivars may provide limited supplemental benefits but do not replace or enhance the effectiveness of flupyradifurone for cotton fleahopper management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cotton Pest Management)
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21 pages, 3042 KB  
Article
Temperature Changes Affect the Vulnerability of Cotton Bollworms, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)
by Jian Huang, Pengfei Wu, Wenyuan Xing and Xiaojun Wang
Insects 2026, 17(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010040 - 28 Dec 2025
Viewed by 723
Abstract
The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), a cosmopolitan agricultural pest, inflicts severe impacts on global agriculture. As a poikilotherm, it was highly susceptible to climate change, yet critical gaps persist in understanding how its sensitivity interacts with climatic shifts—knowledge essential for integrated pest [...] Read more.
The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), a cosmopolitan agricultural pest, inflicts severe impacts on global agriculture. As a poikilotherm, it was highly susceptible to climate change, yet critical gaps persist in understanding how its sensitivity interacts with climatic shifts—knowledge essential for integrated pest management (IPM). We, therefore, analyzed H. armigera’s susceptibility to temperature variations using long-term pest population and meteorological data from Maigaiti and Bachu Counties (southern Xinjiang) and Shawan County (northern Xinjiang). The results showed H. armigera populations increased overall, with reduced interannual fluctuation magnitude. The main meteorological factors influencing the interannual population changes of H. armigera in Maigaiti, Bachu, and Shawan were Tmax difference in winter (98.0%), Tmin difference in May (80.7%), and Tmin difference in July (99.4%), respectively. Higher winter temperature (particularly February) reduced the spring population sizes across all three regions, with only the population in Bachu showing a significant correlation. For annual populations, warmer winter caused a significant decline in Bachu, a marked increase in Maigaiti, and a non-significant rise in Shawan. Summer temperature below 33 °C boosted populations in all regions; above 33 °C, the Maigaiti population declined non-significantly, while the Bachu population dropped significantly. Climate warming advanced the pest’s first appearance, delayed its disappearance, and extended its active period, increasing population size—a trend projected to intensify in the future. Maigaiti and Shawan populations were governed by Tmax in winter and Tmin in July, respectively, whereas the Bachu population was constrained by temperature differences during multiple key growth and development periods throughout the year. These divergent regulatory patterns and climatic responses reflect varying vulnerability levels, providing a theoretical basis for targeted H. armigera control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cotton Pest Management)
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9 pages, 584 KB  
Communication
Susceptibility of Field Populations of Frankliniella intonsa to Spinetoram, Imidacloprid, and Acetamiprid in Xinjiang Cotton Fields, China
by Xiaowei Li, Liqiu Wang, Wei Wang, Ju Yao, Farman Ullah, Chunmeng Li, Renfu Zhang and Yaobin Lu
Insects 2025, 16(12), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16121234 - 6 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 577
Abstract
Thrips pests have become an increasing concern in cotton fields in Xinjiang. Frankliniella intonsa is the primary thrips species during the flowering and boll stages, causing boll stiffening or cracking. However, limited studies have been conducted on controlling F. intonsa. In this [...] Read more.
Thrips pests have become an increasing concern in cotton fields in Xinjiang. Frankliniella intonsa is the primary thrips species during the flowering and boll stages, causing boll stiffening or cracking. However, limited studies have been conducted on controlling F. intonsa. In this study, using a leaf-tube residue method, we evaluated the susceptibility of F. intonsa field populations to three insecticides (spinetoram, imidacloprid, and acetamiprid) collected from different geographical sites across major cotton planting areas in Xinjiang. The results showed that F. intonsa populations exhibited very high susceptibility to spinetoram, ranging from 0.003 mg L−1 in the Shihezi population to 0.036 mg L−1 in the Korla population. The susceptibility of F. intonsa to imidacloprid and acetamiprid varied considerably among different field populations, with the relative resistance of 33.00 and 25.71, respectively. Reduced susceptibility to all three insecticides was detected in the Korla and Manasi populations, highlighting the importance of implementing effective resistance management and alternative control strategies. These findings provide valuable information for the appropriate control of F. intonsa in Xinjiang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cotton Pest Management)
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