Occurence and Impact of Kurtomathrips Morrilli: A New Pest of Cotton on the Texas High Plains

In 2011 the Texas High Plains suffered the worst drought in the region’s recorded history. Subsequently the region experienced an outbreak of a cotton pest never before recorded infesting cotton in the area, Kurtomathrips morilli. In this presentation we report the scope and impact of the infestation as well as discussion regarding the potential of this pest to be economically important in the future. Additionally, information regarding control decisions is provided.