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Research Project: Exotic Whitefly and Subtropical Invasive Pests of Vegetables and Ornamental Plants

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Title: Don’t Bet Your Hedges: IPM Guide Outlines Ficus Whitefly Management

Author
item Ahmed, Muhammad

Submitted to: Entomology Today
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2022
Publication Date: 4/8/2022
Citation: Ahmed, M.Z. 2022. Don’t Bet Your Hedges: IPM Guide Outlines Ficus Whitefly Management. Entomology Today. https://entomologytoday.org/2022/04/08/ficus-whitefly-hedges-integrated-pest-management/.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Fig whitefly, is an invasive species that has been causing damage to Ficus hedges and trees for the last decade and a half in the Caribbean, Europe, North and South America. The first report of fig whitefly in the USA was from Florida in 2007, and since then, it has invaded 24 counties in the last 14 years. The establishment of the fig whitefly and its damage has been posing a serious threat to the utility of Ficus hedges. The trends of using Ficus hedges have been decreasing in the last decade because of the fig whitefly. Ahmed et al. (2022) provides current pest status, a survey of its natural enemies, and an overview of its management plan. There were six main conclusions of Ahmed et al. (2022). 1) Be proactive and scout for fig whitefly regularly. Some Ficus hedges are part of the permanent Floridian landscape and have been there for decades. It is vital to prevent the infestation or control it at an early stage to save those hedges. 2) Be patient and strategize the management plan. If an infestation arrives or starts building up or causing defoliation, please apply the management plan in Ahmed et al. (2022). It is important to remember that the fig whitefly will not kill the hedge if managed on time. 4) Be preventive in conserving resident natural enemies. Ahmed et al. (2022) found several resident natural enemies of fig whitefly available in the field, and their conservation should be accounted for in the management plan of fig whitefly. 6) Future study is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the dominant natural enemies of fig whitefly.