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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #67079
Title: EXOTIC PARASITOID OF BEMISIA ARGENTIFOLII IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Author
item Simmons, Alvin
item CIOMPERLIK, MATTHEW - USDA-APHIS, MISSION, TX

Submitted to: National Research and Action Plan for Silver Leaf Whitefly
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/4/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Eretmocerus sp. nr. mundus, an exotic parasitoid of Bemisia argentifolii, was released and monitored in coastal South Carolina. The parasitoid was orginally collected from Murcia, Spain, and is maintained in a colony at the USDA Mission Biological Control Center in Texas. Releases were made at three sites in Charleston County, South Carolina: two farms of a commercial grower, and at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory research farm (USVL). Releases were made in cantaloupe, collard, eggplant, and tomato. No post-plant pesticide was used at the USVL research farm release site. However, to produce marketable vegetables on the commercial farms, post-emergence pesticides were used as needed. Seven releases were made from late August to early November; ca. 60,000 parasitoids were released. Sticky cards were timed after the death of released adults. Thus, any E. sp. nr mundus collected on the sticky cards would have been from emergence from locally parasitized whiteflies. E. sp. nr. mundus were found on sticky cards and recovered from leaf samples. Collards are still in fields at two locations, and sticky card sampling will continue on this crop into early 1996 to determine if the exotic E. sp. nr. mundus has become established.