Lifecycle, Hosts and Importance of Some of the Major Cotton Insect Pests in South Africa: A Review

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an essential fibre crop cultivated worldwide for centuries. The crop is a cash crop that is grown as raw material for textile industries in over 80 countries with tropical and subtropical climatic conditions. In Sub-Saharan Africa, cotton is a key export crop for global cotton lint exports. In South Africa, cotton is mostly grown by smallholder farmers in five provinces. However, several factors affect production, including low yields, high input costs and pest and weed infestations. The incidence of pests is a significant influence that affects cotton production, resulting in low yields and poor quality. The importance of cotton insect pests lies in their ability to cause significant economic losses by damaging cotton crops. Some are serious pests that require control measures such as synthetic pesticides to warrant a viable yield. A successful control strategy requires integrated pest management that prevents or suppresses damaging populations of insect pests by applying the comprehensive and coordinated integration of multiple and compatible control tactics, including chemical, cultural and biological methodologies. The lifecycles of insect pests can vary depending on factors such as environmental conditions, host availability and pest species. Understanding these lifecycles is crucial for implementing effective pest management strategies at different stages of development to minimize their impact on cotton crops. This paper seeks to review and examine the lifecycle, hosts and importance of Helicoverpa armigera, Aphis gossypii, Bemisia tabaci, Thrips tabaci, Jacobiella facialis, Tetranychus urticae and Dysdercus species as major key insect pests in cotton production.