ADULT WHITEFLIES (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE), AND WHITEFLY PARASITOIDS (HYMENOPTERA: APHELINIDAE) RESPONSE TO COOL WHITE FLUORESCENT LIGHT POWERED BY ALTERNATING OR DIRECT CURRENT

Authors: CHU, CHANG CHI; CHEN, T-Y - U OF AZ, PHOENIX, AZ; HENNEBERRY, THOMAS

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Citation: Chu, C., Chen, T., Henneberry, T.J. 2004. Adult whiteflies (homoptera: aleyrodidae), and whitefly parasitoids (hymenoptera: aphelinidae) response to cool white fluorescent light powered by alternating or direct current. Southwestern Entomologist Vol 29 (2) 111-116.

Interpretive Summary: We developed a light flicker system to study whitefly and parasitoid responses to alternating and direct current fluorescent lights. Sweetpotato whitefly, greenhouse whitefly and banded-winged whitefly were more attractive to alternating current light compared with direct current light. However, whitefly parasitoids Eretmocerus eremicus and Encarsia formosa did not show significant differences in response to the two sources of light. Results will be used for developing light box for whitefly control.

Technical Abstract: Attraction of Bemisa tabaci biotype B (Gennadius), Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and Trialeurodes abutilonea (Haldeman) whiteflies and Eretmocerus eremicus (Rose and Zolnerowich) and Encarsia formosa (Gahan) whitefly parasitoids to alternating or direct electrical current powered light sources was studied in a dark room. Fewer adults of all whitefly species were caught on Tanglefoot coated transparent plastic cards placed between a whitefly release chamber and the direct current powered white fluorescent lights compared with alternating current powered fluorescent lights. Differences in catches of whitefly parasitoids in response to lights powered by alternating or direct current were not significantly different.