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Title: EFFICACY OF CC TRAPS AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF ADULT BEMISIA ARGENTIFOLII (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE) IN IMPERIAL AND PALO VERDE VALLEYS, CALIFORNIA

Author
item CHU, CHANG CHI
item HENNEBERRY, THOMAS
item NATWICK, ERIC - UOFCA COOP EXT, HOLTVILLE
item RITTER, DAVID - AG COMM OFF, EL CENTRO,CA
item BIRDSALL, STEPHEN - AG COMM OFF, EL CENTRO,CA

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Yellow sticky card traps have been used worldwide for monitoring whitefly populations and studying their activities since Dr. L. Lloyd documented the color response of greenhouse whiteflies in 1921. The traps were effective to catch adult whiteflies, but have several disadvantages including messy to handle. We have invented and patented an adult trap, named CC trap, that is easy to use, inexpensive to make, and is highly correlated with th catches of yellow sticky card traps and turn leaf adult counts. Use the CC traps for year-round monitoring in the Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys, the silverleaf whitefly populations showed a continuous declining since 1996. The reasons remain unexplained but the control measures taken since its epidemic in 1991 did play an important role to contain the spread of the pest. The seasonal increase and decrease of populations within a year appear related to changes of air temperatures, winds and rain. The abrupt increase of CC trap catches suggesting migratory activity of adults from nearby crops such as harvest of melon in the spring.

Technical Abstract: Adult silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring, trap (CC trap) catches were compared with suction type trap catches. CC trap catches were significantly correlated to the suction trap catches. Higher numbers of B. argentifolii adults were caught in CC traps oriented toward an untreated, B. argentifolii-infested, cotton field as compared with traps soriented toward Bermuda grass fields, farm roads or fallow areas. CC trap catches at five heights above ground (from 0 cm to 120 cm) were significantly related to each other in choice and no-choice studies. CC trap catches were low in the Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys from late October to early June each of 1996, 1997 and 1998. Trap catches increased with increasing seasonal air temperatures and host availability. Trap catches were adversely affected by wind and rain. Abrupt trap catch increases of 40 to 50-fold for one to two days in late June to early July, followed by abrupt decreases in adult catches suggest migrating activity o adults from other nearby crop sources.