Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) is a major insect pest of the cotton industry. It is a pest because it excretes honeydew that contaminates cotton lint, causing problems during textile processing.

Since the introduction of Bt-cotton secondary pests such as aphids, mites and bugs have become more prominent requiring targeted insecticide control.

Silverleaf whitefly (SLW), Bemisia tabaci B biotype (Gennadius), is a major insect pest of cotton and horticultural industries.

Since the first reported control failures at Emerald during the 1998-99 cotton season, insecticide resistance in cotton aphid, has emerged as a significant threat to the Australian cotton industry.