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giant whitefly

Per the discussion last month or so I have information about the giant
whitefly (Aleurodicus dugesii).  The article appeared in California
Agriculture, December 1997, Vol. 51, No. 6.  

"...the giant whitefly first appeared in San Diego County in October 1992."

"The giant whitefly has made a comfortable life in back yards throughout
coastal Southern California and given grief to gardeners who must cope with
dying landscape plants and masses of fine, threadlike filaments hanging
from leaves.  But the insect shouldn't get too comfortable.  UC Riverside
entomologists are testing two tiny, stingless wasp species against it."...

"Since the giant whitefly was first detected in San Diego County, its
population has grown exponentially and spread to infest ornamentals in
coastal Southern California as far north as San Luis Obispo."...

"UC Riverside scientists have found that the giant whiefly prefers
hibiscus, giant bird-of-paradise, banana, orchid trees and aralia, but it
also feeds on bougainvillea, guava, citrus, liquidambar, ornamental plums,
acacias, ficus, fruitless mulberry, nasturtium and philodendron, among
other landscape plants."...

"Pesticides are largely ineffective, partly because the waxy substance
secreted by the numphs tends to protect them from water-based
insecticides."...

"The two parasitic wasps (Idioporus affinis and Encarsiella noyesi) were
found by former UC Riverside postdoctoral scientist David Headrick, which
searching for natural enemies of the giant whitefly in Mexico--its presumed
native country."...

"UC Riverside has been granted release permits by state and federal
agencies to test the wasps in the field.  Each release site is being
monitored weekly to determine if the wasps are becoming established."...

"In the meantime, gardeners can removed infested leaves from plants.
Infested plant material should be sealed in plastic bags and removed to
prevent migration of the whitefly to other plants..."  "San Diego farm
advisor Karen Robb also recommends "syringing," blasting the undersides of
infested leaves with a stream of water.  In improves the plant's appearance
and, unlike insecticides, doesn't disrupt biocontrol programs..."

The article is accompanied by color pictures of the whitefly (size is about
the length of a grain of rice).

My sympathies for those of you who have to contend with this beast!

Holly Forbes

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Holly Forbes
Curator
UC Botanical Garden
200 Centennial Drive, #5045
Berkeley, CA 94720-5045

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/

Phone: 510-643-8040
FAX:  510-642-5045
hforbes@uclink4.berkeley.edu
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