Internal Boll Rots Associated with Feeding by Hemipterous Insects: A Review

When stink bugs, plant bugs and cotton flea hoppers feed on bolls and buds, the locks within the boll often become discolored or rotted.  Such symptoms could be caused by insect toxins or microbial pathogens introduced by insects.  The roles of pathogens have been determined by antiseptically isolating microorganisms from locks of field-grown bolls prior to opening; isolating pathogens from sterile water washes of insects; and caging of feral insects on greenhouse grown bolls followed by antiseptic isolations.  Pathogenicity has been confirmed using inoculations with fine needles.  The results of these studies, which show that a variety of bacteria, including Bacillus, Pantoea, Serratia and Enterobacter species, and infectious yeasts, especially Nematospora species cause internal boll rots, will be discussed.