The importance of Heliothis has grown with the advent of resistance in H.armigera to various pesticides.

Outbreaks of native budworm, Helicoverpa punctigera, often arise after egg laying by emigrant moths from distant populations.

The Australian cotton industry relies heavily on chemical pesticides for management of a diverse array of pest insects, weeds and diseases.

Small parasitic wasps, scientifically known as Trichogramma, are used as biological control agents of moth pests in overseas countries, thereby reducing the need to use insecticides.

During the 1988/89 cotton season trials were conducted to evaluate the potential of synthetic pheromones to control the pink -spotted boll worm, Pectinophora scutigera, by mating disruption