Eretmocerus hayati was first released in late Oct 2004 and over the next 2.5 years it has since spread has far south as the Sydney Basin, west into the northern NSW cotton production areas and in Qld from the NSW bord

During the 1991-92 season, a 1 ha block of unsprayed raingrown cotton near Dalby was sampled for parasite activity in heliothis larvae.

Biological control represents one alternative to insecticides. The Cotton Research Council (CRC) has funded a project to study native egg parasites of Heliothis.