ABSTRACT

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii is one of the most damaging pests of cotton and control efforts rely on chemical pesticides. To enhance the natural enemy complex of cotton aphid, two parasites and one entomopathogenic fungus were released into cotton aphid populations in California. One of the parasites, Aphelinus near paramali successfully overwintered at two nursery sites in the San Joaquin Valley. The fungus, Neozygites fresenii, although able to cause very limited infections in the field following release, failed to establish in populations during the season and apparently did not overwinter.