New records of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) and their host plants from Colombia

Authors: DÍAZ-SÁNCHEZ, J - Universidad Andres Bello (UNAB); SERNA, F - Universidad Andres Bello (UNAB); Ahmed, Muhammad

Submitted to: Biodiversity Data Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2022
Publication Date: 8/23/2022
Citation: Díaz-Sánchez, J.L., Serna, F., Ahmed, M.Z. 2022. New records of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) and their host plants from Colombia. Biodiversity Data Journal. 18(4):889-896. https://doi.org/10.15560/18.4.889.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/18.4.889

Interpretive Summary: More than half of all whitefly species are distributed in the tropics. Very little is known about the whitefly fauna of Colombia. This situation causes limitations on the study of basic and applied entomology of whitefly, which are of considerable importance in agriculture as they affect many cultivated and wild plants. The species recorded in this study were previously known from Brazil and several other countries bordering Colombia, such as Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. We predict that the number of species in Colombia could increase due to the high dispersal capacity of whitefly. Knowledge on the global distribution of whitefly pests represents important data used to evaluate risks of pest incursions into the U.S. through human activities.

Technical Abstract: More than 1500 species of whitefly are known worldwide, and 31–34 occur in Colombia. Based on the present study carried out with the Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Columbia, we found six whitefly species newly recorded from the country. In this work, we provide maps depicting the distribution of these species in the country and the data on their host plants.