Bemisia tabaci is the key pest of more than 100,000 acres of greenhouse vegetables on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain. Tomato is particularly vulnerable due to vectoring of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Naturally occurring Eretmocerus mundus, an indigenous parasitoid of B. tabaci, was observed to displace E. eremicus where it had been introduced from the western US to control this pest. Life table studies of E. mundus demonstrated great biotic potential (rm > 0.2) on both tomato and pepper. Laboratory, experimental field and commercial field studies confirmed the superiority of E. mundus and its ability to provide effective control of B. tabaci in tomato and pepper within compatible management systems. E. mundus is presently being mass reared in Spain and should be available for general use during the 2002-2003 season.
Species 1: Homoptera Aleyrodidae Bemisia Tabaci (Sweetpotato Whitefly, Silverleaf Whitefly)
Species 2: Hymenoptera Aphelinidae Eretmocerus mundus
Species 3: Hymenoptera Aphelinidae Eretmocerus eremicus
Keywords: Greenhouse, vegetables
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