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Abstract
A new addition on the list of whitefly species found in Florida, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin, was originally called the gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly, but is now named the rugose spiraling whitefly. Being a fairly new species to science – identified less than a decade ago, not much information is available about this pest. It is an introduced pest, endemic to Central America, and was reported for the first time in Florida from Miami-Dade County in 2009. Since then it has become an escalating problem for homeowners, landscapers, businesses, and governmental officials throughout the southern coastal counties of Florida. Feeding by this pest not only causes stress to its host plant, but the excessive production of wax and honeydew creates an enormous nuisance in infested areas. The presence of honeydew results in the growth of fungi called sooty mold, which then turns everything in the vicinity covered with honeydew black with mold. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Vivek Kumar, Cindy L. McKenzie, Catharine Mannion, Ian Stocks, Trevor Smith, and Lance S. Osborne, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1015
References
Evans GA. 2008. The whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) of the world and their host plants and natural enemies. USDA-APHIS. (31 July 2013)
Mannion C. 2010. Rugose spiraling whitefly, a new whitefly in South Florida. Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida. p. 5. (14 October 2013)
Martin JH. 2004. The whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Part 1 - introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae Quaintance & Baker. Zootaxa 681: 1-119. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.681.1.1
Mayer H, McLaughlin J, Hunsberger A, Vasquez L, Olcyzk T, Mannion C. 2010. Common questions about the gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus). The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension. p. 4. (14 October 2013)
Osborne LS. 2012. The rugose spiraling whitefly. MidFlorida Research and Education Center, University of Florida. (14 October 2013)
Stocks I. 2012. Rugose spiraling whitefly host plants. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry. p. 6. (14 October 2013)
Stocks I, Hodges G. 2012. Pest Alert- DACS-P-01745. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry. p. 6. (14 October 2013)
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