Biological control of Bemisia tabaci
In Florida, US, Delphastus pusillus is an indigenous coccinellid predator of Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) and other whiteflies, which feeds on all stages of its prey. Laboratory studies have been carried out on the interactions of this predator with Bemisia tabaci parasitized by aphelinid endoparasitoids (Encarsia transvena and Eretmocerus sp. nr. californicus). The results obtained showed that D. pusillus generally avoids parasitized whiteflies, especially those with advanced parasitism. It was also observed that D. pusillus and parasitoids tend to attack different stages of B. tabaci. The authors concluded that because of this temporal separation between the action of predator and parasitoids, there is a potential for using both type of natural enemies into management programmes to control B. tabaci.
Sources
Hoelmer, K.A.; Osborne, L.S.; Yokomi, R.K. (1994) Interactions of the whitefly predator Delphastus pusillus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) with parasitized sweetpotato whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae).
Environmental Entomology, 23 (1), 136-139.