Management of insect and mite pests attacking cotton crops relies heavily on the use of insecticides. In raingrown crops on the Darling Downs, an average of 8 to 12 insecticide sprays are applied to control the major pests - thrips, mirids and heliothis. In order to reduce the dependence on insecticides in cotton production, alternative management tactics are being evaluated as part of a program towards the development of an integrated pest management package. One of the key elements of our approach was to evaluate parasitoids.