The principal cotton pests and their economic thresholds in the Kilikien Plain in Southern Turkey

Agrotis ypsilon, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Bemisia tabaci, Heliothis armigera, Platyedra gossypiella, Earias insulana, Spodoptera littoralis are the major pests of cotton in the Kilikien Plain in Southern Turkey;Aphis gossypii, Spodoptera exigua, Empoasca spp. are occasional pests andThrips tabaci, Nezara viridula, Lygus spp.,Oxycarenus hyalinipennis are of little importance. Pest control is improved if the exact time of appearance and the biology and ecology of these insect pests are known.A. ypsilon can be controlled effectively and economically by seed treatment. Seed sterilization and the destruction of crop residues significantly reduce the offspring and infestation ofP. gossypiella andE. insulana. The number of chemical treatments forT. cinnabarinus, B. tabaci, H. armigera, S. littoralis can be reduced by the application of economic thresholds.