Description:

• The red cotton bug is a common pest that affects cotton plants across almost all cotton-growing regions of India.

Damage Symptoms:

• Nymphs and adults initially feed by sucking sap from tender leaves, petioles, and shoots.
• Over time, they infest flower buds and immature bolls.
• Infested plants lose vigour, and bolls open prematurely.
• Seeds from affected bolls become shrivelled, underdeveloped, and unsuitable for sowing, with a significant reduction in oil content.

Preventive Measures:

• Introduce the predatory reduviid bug, Harpactor costalis, into the field to naturally control red cotton bug populations.
• Collect and destroy fallen bolls to reduce infestation sources.

Control Measures:

• Dust the field with methyl parathion 2D or carbaryl 10D at 10 to 12 Kg per acre.