| Greenhouse whitefly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Trialeurodes vaporariorum byDes Helmore | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Family: | Aleyrodidae |
| Genus: | Trialeurodes |
| Species: | T. vaporariorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood, 1856) | |
Trialeurodes vaporariorum, commonly known as theglasshouse whitefly orgreenhouse whitefly, is aninsect that inhabits the world'stemperate regions. Like various otherwhiteflies, it is a primary insectpest of many fruit, vegetable and ornamentalcrops. It is frequently found in glasshouses (greenhouses),polytunnels, and other protected horticultural environments. Adults are 1–2 mm in length, with yellowish bodies and four wax-coated wings held near parallel to the leaf surface.[1]
Females are capable of mating less than 24 hours after emergence and most frequently lay theireggs on the undersides of leaves. Eggs are pale yellow in colour, before turning grey prior to hatching. Newly hatchednymphs, often known as crawlers, are the only mobile immature life-stage. During the first and second nymph instars, the appearance is that of a pale yellow/translucent, flat scale which can be difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. During the fourth and final immature life-stage, referred to as the "pupa", compound eyes and other body tissues become visible as the nymph thickens and rises from the leaf-surface.[1]
All life-stages apart from eggs and "pupae" cause crop damage through direct feeding, inserting their stylet into leaf veins and extracting nourishment from thephloem sap. As a by-product of feeding,honeydew is excreted and that alone can be a second, major source of damage. The third and potentially most harmful characteristic is the ability of adults to transmit several plantviruses. The crop hosts principally affected are vegetables such ascucurbits,potatoes andtomatoes, although a range of other crop and non-crop plants includingweed species are susceptible, and can therefore harbour the infection.[2]
Effective control has been provided for many years through the release of beneficial insects, such as theaphelinid parasitoid,Encarsia formosa (Gahan). If required,integrated pest management strategies can incorporate applications of selective chemical insecticides orbiopesticides such asLecanicillium muscarium that complement these natural enemies. For the majority of outdoor crops chemicals are still the most widely used method of control.[2] To study pest resistance management a 787‐Mb high‐quality draft genome has been sequenced and assembled.[3]
Media related toTrialeurodes vaporariorum at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toTrialeurodes vaporariorum at WikispeciesAuthority control databases: National |
|---|