Evaluation of Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) to Control Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima):a Lifetable Analysis
Abstract
Weekly releases of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan failed to control a low density population (initially, 0.51 nymphs and pupae per plant) of the whitefly Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring on greenhouse grown poinsettia plants in Massachusetts when released at the rate of 4-7 adult females per plant. A lifetable constructed for uncaged B. argentifolii in the presence of E. formosa indicated that survivorship from the first/second instar to adult emergence was 14%. In contrast, in a lifetable constructed for B. argentifolii on caged poinsettia from which E. formosa was excluded, survivorship was 67%. Release of E. formosa reduced the number of insecticide applications on poinsettia by 75%, but the cost of using E. formosa (on a per m2 basis) was 9.5 times that of insecticides alone.Downloads
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