An important requirement for successful management of Helicoverpa spp. In Australian cotton is a reliable and effective monitoring system. Timely pest management decisions must be based upon knowledge of the pest population densities with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Effective sampling for Helicoverpa spp life stages can be time consuming and onerous, and any technique which reduces the amount of time spent scouting is welcomed, provided accuracy is not compromised. Whatever sampling scheme is used must be based on an understanding of the distribution and feeding behaviour of Helicoverpa life stages and then be associated with a well validated threshold to allow management decisions. Here we briefly review sampling techniques for cotton and present our first field results aimed at assessing the validity of these techniques with INGARD cotton.