The cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter), is considered a key pest in the eastern part of Texas. Both adults and nymphs feed on new growth, including small squares. Squares up to pinhead size are susceptible to damage and the plant is most susceptible during the first three weeks of fruiting.

Cotton fleahopper populations increase in wild hosts and move into cotton fields prior to squaring. In the Southern Blacklands, the population dynamics are consistent through years and vary only in numbers. As a result, cotton fleahoppers migrate continuously between wild hosts and cotton in this production region averages two insecticide applications for cotton fleahoppers, with a range of one to four applications depending on the populations.

The situation changes in the western part of the state, including the Rolling Plains. In the western part of the state, the cotton fleahopper may increase to damaging populations occasionally. In the Lower Rolling Plains, wild host availability is limited by rainfall and cotton fleahopper populations usually remain at low levels. Cotton in this production region rarely averages more than one insecticide application for cotton fleahoppers.

Recent research, performed with mechanical removal of squares which cannot duplicate the physiological impacts of insect feeding, has again shown that the newer cotton varieties have the ability to compensate for early square loss (including square losses in the second and third week of fruiting) if square removal ended after the third week. Further studies have shown that current economic thresholds are adequate to protect yield. The unknown factors are when should an insecticide application be initiated and how frequent should the applications occur, especially with the new varieties currently being grown.