Tales of Cotton Insects – Thursday, August 20, 2026

The cotton jassid situation has continued to increase over the last week in Alabama and across the lower Southeast. We have received reports of infestations exceeding thresholds in 3 additional Alabama counties (Henry, Baldwin and Cherokee) to go along with Coffee and Dale counties last week. The biggest surprise was to hear of threshold populations in Cherokee county. Populations appear to be spotty, which highlights the importance of scouting. Cotton jassids are also going from undetectable to above threshold in as little as two weeks in some cases. Part of this may be due to our recommended scouting methods.

This week, we did a comparison of “flipping leaves” and using a sweep-net as a detection tool. What we found was pretty obvious: using the sweep-net is a much better way to detect low populations than just looking at leaves. In fact, we were 3.5x more likely to find a cotton jassid in a sweep-net than by flipping leaves. We also found ≈6x as many adult jassids in 10 sweeps than we found on 10 leaves. I know that most folks put their nets up long ago, but it may be time to get them back out. With the current weather pattern, we cannot afford to miss these low populations of jassids because the can blow up quick. 

Early hopperburn symptoms in cotton in Henry, Co. AL.

In conversations about this with people this week, a few folks wondered what the sweep-net threshold would be. I do not think we will ever be able to get to a sweep-net threshold. There would be too many to quantify and nymphs are difficult to see in the net. However, the sweep-net is excellent to rapidly detect these small numbers and let us know when to start flipping leaves to see how close populations are to threshold. To scout with a sweep-net, sing the net similarly to how you do in pre-square cotton for adult plant bugs. You do not need to swing too hard and knock bolls and a lot of leaves into the net. We have also found that cutting samples down to 10 sweeps at a time makes it easier to count jassids and the keep from smashing them up too much.

 As a reminder, threshold is one jassid (adult or nymph) per leaf. The presence of adults is critical to understanding if nymphs are jassids or some other type of leafhopper as nymphs are difficult to identify.

To date, most reports of cotton jassid exceeding thresholds in Alabama have been in early planted cotton and cotton that is starting to crack bolls. I suspect they will soon start moving into later planted cotton. Hopefully if we catch them in older cotton, we can knock them back with a well-timed insecticide application and reduce the populations moving into younger cotton. For now, our recommendation is to scout and treat cotton at 1 jassid per leaf until 2 weeks prior to defoliation.

To see an up-to-date map on cotton jassid detections across the Cotton Belt, you can check out the Stop two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Stop2SCL) website here (https://stop2scl.org/cotton/)

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Cotton Insects – Thursday, August 13, 2026

It’s go time. It appears that there is some correlation between meet the teacher and cotton jassid outbreaks in Alabama. Last year, I received my first call on jassids in “the real world” on August 12, while I was in meet the teacher for my kids school. This year, the first call with reports of cotton jassids at economic levels came on August 11 (the day my kids also had meet the teacher).

Current reports are that spotty, but economic, populations of cotton jassid have been observed in Coffee and Dale counties. As a reminder, threshold (or economic levels) is an average of 1 cotton jassid per leaf. We currently recommend focusing on the 4^th node mainstem leaf below the terminal. However, if jassids are found on other leaves, do not ignore them. We are currently in a weather pattern that is favorable for cotton jassid development (hot, dry and somehow still humid) and populations can explode in a short amount of time. Our threshold counts adult and immature jassids the same, but the presence of adults is important to confirm the species of leafhopper in the field is cotton jassid. When the wing-pads are present, you can see two small black dots developing. This is one way to positively id cotton jassids nymphs.

Immature cotton jassid with black dots developing near wing pads

In addition to looking for cotton jassids, we also need to be scouting for early signs of hopperburn. Symptoms begin as a general yellowing of the leaf, followed by distinct yellowing, then reddening of the leaf margins. Following the signs on leaf margins, hopper burn moves throughout the leaf before leaves fall off the plant. Catching hopperburn early is critical, as when red is easily observed on leaf margins, damage cannot be stopped on those leaves.

Varying levels of hopperburn caused by cotton jassid.

In our observations and from reports, cotton jassids seem to be concentrated on the earliest planted cotton right now. This trend is similar to what we observed early last year. Reports are that cotton jassids tend to be on cotton with small bolls at the top. Hopefully, this means one well-timed application can knock them out and these fields will not require multiple applications.

Treatment options will likely depend on other pests in the field (stink bugs, plant bugs or spider mites) and the level of jassids present. For these fields that are close to the end, Bidrin is a good option to control jassids and the bug complex. If spider mites are a major concern, Vertento is an option to knockout all the pests. If high levels of jassids are present (multiple per leaf) and other pests are not as much of a concern, then we have several options that provide good control (Argyle, Carbine, Courier, Sefina, Sivanto and Venom) and others that provide moderate control (acephate, assail, Centric, imidacloprid and Transform). One key thing to keep in mind is that pyrethroids (bifenthrin and others) do not control cotton jassids and can make populations worse. I would not spray pyrethroids for stink bug control from this point forward in southeast Alabama.

To see an up-to-date map on cotton jassid detections across the Cotton Belt, you can check out the Stop two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Stop2SCL) website here (https://stop2scl.org/cotton/)

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Insects: Friday, August 7, 2026

Starting with soybeans, calls have picked up over the past week or so. We are starting to get reports of soybeans loopers in southwest Alabama. Soybean loopers are ferocious foliage feeders that can do a lot of damage in a hurry. Luckily, natural mortality of small loopers is generally very high, and many of the “thread-like” loopers we see will not survive. For that reason, we don’t recommend counting soybean loopers that are less than 0.25-0.5 inches long. The goal of soybean looper (and other defoliator) management is to avoid excessive defoliation. From R1-R6 we want to prevent 20% defoliation, from R6 to R6 plus 7-10 days, we can tolerate up to 30% defoliation. Estimating percent defoliation can be tricky and many people overestimate how much damage has been done. The Crop Protection Network has an excellent tool that you can use to train your eye on defoliation estimates (link). As far as soybean looper counts, our threshold is to treat when 5 loopers are found per foot of row (25 per drop cloth if sampling two rows at a time) or 19 loopers per 25 sweeps. We have plenty of good options for looper control including diamides (Coragen eVo, Besiege, Vantacor) as well as Steward and Intrepid Edge. While pyrethroids provide good control of velvetbean caterpillar, they do not kill soybean looper. We have seen times where acephate can knock back populations for a week or so, but then the loopers comeback with a vengeance. This may be worth trying in very specific situations where loopers are stink bugs are at damaging levels in the late R6 stages.

Speaking of stink bugs, we have started getting reports of redbanded stink bugs (RBSB) infesting fields in central and south Alabama this week. RBSB is much more damaging and more difficult to control than our traditional stink bug complex. Threshold is 4 RBSB per 25 sweeps or 2 per 5 row feet (1 drop cloth sample with both rows). Treatment for RBSB can be terminated at R7 unless there are adverse environmental conditions that would promote poor seed quality. When the population is primarily made up of immature RBSB, tank-mixtures are often required. Bifenthrin + acephate is the standard for RBSB control, but Bifenthrin + imidacloprid is also an option that is more economical if populations are right at threshold. Vertento is another good option, although it carries a higher price tag.

Adult (left), freshly hatched (middle) and late instar immature (right) redbanded stink bugs.

Cotton update

Overall, the cotton situation has been light. We have received a few reports of stink bugs and plant bugs requiring attention, but pressure has been seemingly low. We also currently feel good about the cotton jassid situation. To date, cotton jassids have been hard to detect in fields in southeast Alabama. We currently have confirmed the pest in cotton in Autauga, Lee and Elmore counties in central Alabama and in Henry, Houston, Dale and Geneva counties in southeast Alabama. We have also scouted fields in Coffee, Pike, Barbour and Russell counties but no jassids were observed. While the distribution of jassids is a little more in Alabama than this time last year, the size of the populations seem to be lower. The first field treated in Georgia was also much later this year than last. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. The biggest thing to consider for now in cotton in southeast Alabama is that pyrethroids (bifenthrin and others) do not control cotton jassids and in some cases can make flare them. I would be very hesitant to spray pyrethroids for stink bugs in the wiregrass due to this.

To see an up-to-date map on cotton jassid detections across the Cotton Belt, you can check out the Stop two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Stop2SCL) website here (https://stop2scl.org/cotton/)

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Cotton Insects: Friday July 24, 2026

Where’s the bugs? That has been the primary question we have gotten over the past week or so. Most calls are folks reporting light insect pressure and just checking to make sure they aren’t missing anything or aren’t the only ones not seeing much. Thankfully, that is the case for the majority of the cotton across the state. There are pockets of plant bugs and stink bugs here and there, but its been relatively quiet overall.

Another big topic is whether or not to “throw something in the tank” when making a trip in cotton at the 4^th or 5^th week of bloom. In most years, that is good timing to take care of plant bugs, especially for the cost of a pyrethroid. However given what we know about pyrethroids appearing to flare cotton jassids, I would be hesitant to stir anything up right now. This leaves organophosphates (acephate or Bidrin) as options to clean up stink bugs. This year, as light as pressure has been, I think we can pass on that 3^rd week of bloom “automatic” shot and try to buy another week or two. As I once heard my colleague at Missouri, Chase Floyd, say, “any day we don’t have to spray is a good day.” Keep kicking the can down the road and try to make sure we are getting the biggest bang for the buck we can on inputs this year. If there is enough pressure to treat, another good option is Vertento. We talked about it some in our last blog (link). On the label, the use of an oil-based surfactant or a NIS with at least 75% surface active agent is recommended.

Cotton Jassid Update: Populations continue to be VERY low across Alabama. Populations are becoming more easy to find in some areas of Georgia, but no fields have reached treatable levels yet. The current counties where cotton jassid have been confirmed in Alabama include: Elmore (June 11), Lee (June 29), Henry (July 7) and Autauga (July 20). A single jassid was found in a sweep-net sample at the Prattville research unit. Last year, the first jassid found there was on September 3. What does that mean? Other than the fact we found jassids there six weeks later last year, we do not know. It could mean they build up numbers quicker, or they could end up building late, similar to last year. Only time will tell. One thing we do know is that the only way to know if jassids are present is to scout fields weekly.

To see an up-to-date map on cotton jassid detections across the Cotton Belt, you can check out the Stop two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Stop2SCL) website here (https://stop2scl.org/cotton/)

Soybean Update

We have gotten a few reports of redbanded stink bugs (RBSB) requiring treatment in soybeans in south Alabama and seen a few in central Alabama as well. RBSB are more aggressive feeders and more difficult to control than our traditional stink bugs complex. Threshold is 4 RBSB per 25 sweeps. The best option for control is Bifenthrin + acephate, but in some cases either alone or either plus imidacloprid can knock them back. Additionally, Endigo ZCX is a good option. It just depends on the pressure and how long the beans have to do. Treatment for RBSB can be terminated at R7 except under adverse environmental conditions.

Overall defoliator (soybean looper and velvetbean caterpillar) pressure has been light so far. We will see how the storm in the gulf will impact those numbers in the next 7 to 10 days.

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Cotton Insects: July 8, 2026

The Alabama cotton insect situation has started to pick up over the past week. Plant bugs are becoming more consistent in some fields and applications are going out. Aphids are beginning to somewhat settle down, and we expect to start picking up fungus soon too.

Most of the calls we have gotten revolve around plant bug management and when or if to use Diamond. In most cases, we still recommend Diamond in fields that have already had one application for adult plant bugs in pre-bloom cotton. Somewhere around 10-14 days after that initial application is an ideal time to get it out, if treatable levels of plant bugs are present. This allows time for eggs that were deposited to hatch so nymphs will be exposed to the Diamond. If not, we have been recommending holding off on the Diamond, particularly in south Alabama. Our reason is to save some budget for if/when jassids show up. We do not know yet how many applications (or if any, but we suspect we will) we will need to manage jassids. Budgets are tight and saving until applications are economically justified (thresholds) will be critical this year.

We have also seen a fair amount of clouded plant bugs in south Alabama this year. Clouded plant bugs are slightly more aggressive feeders, and they prefer to feed on thumb-sized bolls, where tarnished plant bugs prefer to feed on larger squares. A common characteristic of clouded plant bug feeding is cat-facing (dark spotting) on the outside of the boll, similar to stink bug injury. Experience over the last couple years suggests that pyrethroids provide sporadic control of clouded plant bugs and should not be relied on for control.

    

"Cat-facing" on thumb-sized boll
from clouded plant bug feeding

 
Adult clouded plant bug

We are also approaching the time of the season when the new material, Vertento, has a good fit. In my experience, Vertento provides very good residual (≈3 week) control of plant bugs, stink bugs and spider mites (and probably cotton jassid too). To maximize the return of investment with this product, it should go out once cotton has slowed its vegetative growth (after bloom). Vertento is not systemic, so new growth is not protected. For this reason, we have found that spraying around the 2^nd or 3^rd week of bloom is a good timing to knockout plant bugs and get close to finish line on stink bugs too. We know, based on limited experience, it provides good control of jassids, but we need to do more work to see how long the residual control lasts.

Adult cotton jassid found in Headland
on July 7, 2026

Cotton Jassid Update: We found a single adult cotton jassid in Headland yesterday (June 7) on our early March planted cotton. This detection was made on the field border (as we would expect). After that, we did 500+ sweep net samples and looked on thousands of leaves and did not find another jassid in that field or any other fields on the station. For now, I would not get overly excited and start spraying. I would focus scouting on field borders and on plants isolated from the field.

We are also seeing a ton of what we are calling “jassid mimics” or “look-alikes” that are other leafhopper species that look similar to but are not cotton jassids. These species do not cause hopperburn. If you are currently finding immature leafhoppers easily, I think there is a very high degree of certainty that it is one of the mimic species. The only way in the field to know you are dealing with cotton jassid is to see adults with the two black spots on the wings (image). We are starting to get heat, sunshine and popup rain showers which will help the crop catch up, but also favors cotton jassid growth and development. A few factors that favor cotton jassid growth and development: hot temperatures (81-95F), high humidity (55-87%), sunshine hours and moderate rainfall (increases humidity and plant growth).

To see an up-to-date map on cotton jassid detections across the Cotton Belt, you can check out the Stop two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Stop2SCL) website here (https://stop2scl.org/cotton/)

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Cotton Insects: June 24, 2026

Overall, the Alabama cotton insect situation has been relatively quite so far this year. This probably has a lot to do with all the rains we have experienced across the state over the past couple weeks. Hopefully we are about to get into a “normal” summer pattern and get some sunshine and heat and get the crop off and running.

Adult tarnished plant bug

Plant bug calls have started to come in over the last few days. In north Alabama, populations have been sporadic, but are really picking up in the earliest planted, most mature cotton fields. Fewer reports are coming from central and south Alabama, but some fields are approaching treatable levels. As a reminder, threshold is 8 adult plant bugs per 100 sweeps and maintain 80% of the first position pinhead squares in the upper 2-3 nodes of the canopy.

Some fields are approaching two weeks after the first adult plant bug spray and needing another application. In these cases, it is a good time to get Diamond out in addition to a knockdown insecticide to help get some residual suppression of immature plant bugs.

We have also seen some pretty heavy infestations of aphids in fields in central Alabama and gotten similar reports from other areas of the state.
Generally, populations are not enough to warrant application alone, but they are getting close. The biggest issue appears to be due to the fact cotton has been stressed and not growing off like we typically see this time of year. Hopefully it will turn a corner soon and outrun the aphids.

Good news on the cotton jassid front: we have not found any more in the state since our initial detection on June 11. Yesterday (June 23) we turned over ≈5,000 leaves in cotton across 3 planting dates in Headland and did not find a single jassid. According to the literature, cooler temperatures (<84F) slow down their growth and development, and heavy rains can knock down populations by up to 70%. It appears that the good Lord is giving us some early season suppression. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as things change.

Things have also been quite in soybeans this year. We have gotten reports of Mexican bean beetle in fields in Northeast Alabama this week. Adult MBB may be confused with lady beetles, as the look similar, but they can cause a lot of defoliation in a hurry. The immatures are yellow, spiney and pill shaped. MBB tend to feed between the leaf veins leaving a lacy appearance. Threshold is to avoid 35% defoliation in vegetative soybeans and 20% in reproductive soybeans.

Adult (L) and immature (R) Mexican bean beetle.
Phot: Eddie McGriff

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.

Tales of Cotton Insects: Friday June 12, 2026

This week has been an eventful one for cotton in the southeast. Cotton jassid was documented in Tifton, GA (June 10, okra), Tallassee, AL (June 11, cotton) and Quincy, FL (June 12, cotton). These are the first documented cases of cotton jassid in “the real world” in the Cotton Belt since a single jassid was found on a sticky trap in January in Georgia.

What does this mean for Alabama cotton farmers? For one, it means your scout is about to get busy. I suspect we are setting up similarly to 2025, but only time will tell. Last year, we also found the first cotton jassid in Alabama in Tallassee on June 17. As everyone remembers, we did not see widespread infestations in the real world until mid-August. However, we also did not start intensely scouting for cotton jassid until around that time. We will likely find them earlier in commercial fields this year because we are more actively scouting. 

We have already started getting questions about changing plant bug management plans based on this new information. For now, I would stay the course. Until we start seeing real numbers of jassids in commercial fields, I would address plant bugs in the most efficient and economical way possible. Keep in mind that materials like imidacloprid did provide some suppression (≈56%) of cotton jassids in our research trials last year. If populations are essentially undetectable, then this amount of control should be good enough for now.

We are also seeing a ton of what we are calling “jassid mimics” or “look-alikes” that are other leafhopper species that look similar to but are not cotton jassids. These species do not cause hopperburn. If you are currently finding immature leafhoppers easily, I think there is a very high degree of certainty that it is one of the mimic species. The only way in the field to know you are dealing with cotton jassid is to see adults with the two black spots on the wings.

As always, if we can ever be of any help, or if you would like to provide input on the situation in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Extension Agent or myself (Scott Graham: 662-809-3368) and Ron Smith (334-332-9501). For more information on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline.