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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #251497
Title: Whitefly management

Author
item McKenzie, Cindy
item PALMER, CRISTI - Rutgers Agriculture Research & Extension Center

Submitted to: SAF Annual Conference on Insect & Disease Management on Ornamentals
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2010
Publication Date: 2/26/2010
Citation: McKenzie, Cindy and Cristi Palmer. 2010. Whitefly Management. Society of American Florists, Proceedings of the 26th Annual Pest and Production Management Conference XXVE:40-49.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Whiteflies have long been considered a major pest of ornamentals. Until Bemisia tabaci (biotype B) was found attacking an array of ornamental plants in Florida greenhouses in 1986, the primary pest species was the greenhouse whitefly. The Q biotype was introduced in 2004 and has since spread to 25 states including Florida. Development of diagnostic tools for distinguishing different biotypes of silverleaf whitefly facilitated the determination of the whitefly’s distribution in Florida after the introduction of the devastating Q biotype into the United States. An in-depth survey of Florida sampling 23 counties and 14 different host plants split evenly between vegetable and ornamental hosts detected biotype Q in 6 counties. The Q biotype only attacked greenhouse grown ornamental plants and herbs in Florida and had not invaded field-grown vegetables as feared. Three separate Q haplotypes within Florida were discovered that could be used to associate populations known to be related by grower and plant type thereby tracking distribution routes. We determined that biotype Q entered Florida through at least two separate introductions. In-depth analysis of insecticide resistance profiles of different biotype Q populations indicates that different populations have different insecticide resistance profiles; therefore, the ability to identify the Q haplotype is of practical importance to growers by providing information that will improve management decision making with respect to pesticide applications. Whitefly management including exclusion, scouting, beneficial organisms, biological and chemical tools including the “WHITEFLY (BEMISIA TABACI) MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR PLANTS FOR PLANTING INTENDED FOR EXPORT” is discussed.