Insecticides and beneficial insects in cotton fields

Beneficial insect populations are often reduced by insecticides applied for control of specific pest species. The seven insecticides evaluated in this progress report were found to affect adversely the populations of six of the common predators in cotton fields. Populations of some beneficial insects (though severely reduced) recovered rapidly in plots treated with organophosphate materials that have short residual properties—but failed to recover rapidly in plots treated with long-residual materials.