Field studies were established in a cotton production system of the Mississippi Delta in 1995 and 1996 to examine the effects of various insecticide treatments on the cumulative insect feeding patterns and fruit initiation in pre-squaring cotton Gossypium hirsutum. In 1995, studies were established with a conventional variety, ‘Suregrow 125', and this study identified the effects of insecticide treatments on cumulative feeding patterns of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens (Fabricus), and tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois). In 1996, studies were established on ‘Nucotn 33b' to dilute the effect of Lepidoterae feeding and isolate the effects of tarnished plant bug on presquaring cotton. No treatment decreased the incidence of damage terminals at any sampling date. Initial control of tarnished plant bug with Provado treatments was slow, which was similar to observations in 1995. Vydate C-LV + Lannate LV consistently provided less control of tarnished plant bug and resulted in lower lint yield from fruiting branches produced during early season. The lack of control from Vydate C-LV + Lannate LV also resulted in delay of maturity when compared to Orthene treated cotton.