Flight behaviors of Bemisia tabaci,
the Sweet Potato Whitefly,
and its parasitoid, Eretmocerus eremicus
#Dept. of Entomology, 203 Pesticide Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA.
 |
|
|
Sweet potato whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci, remain a key pest of Arizona crops. Populations have been controlled recently through the use of imidacloprid, Admire®. Because of developing resistance, however, we need to continually search for options to one-dimensional control strategies. Biological control by whitefly natural enemies is considered a viable control alternative. Parasitic wasps, such as the native Eretmocerus eremicus, are very important in several crops where levels of whitefly parasitism as high as 80% have been reported. One way of deploying these natural enemies is to establish refuges. An important question that is yet to be addressed is that which concerns placement of these refuges.
To make these determinations, we have initiated investigations concerning flight behavior by Er. eremicus. Preliminary results clearly indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in observed flight between males (avg. = 1 min., max. = 10 min., n = 30) and females (avg. = 19 min., max. = 93 min., n = 52). Initial results also suggest that there exist two distinctive populations within females of short-duration flyers (<20 min.) and long-duration flyers (>25 min.).
These preliminary results are encouraging, but point to several questions concerning their flight behavior in both laboratory and field situations. Our immediate objectives are to:
1. Evaluate the dispersal capabilities of the parasitic wasp Eretmocerus eremicus in the laboratory
2. evaluate in the field parasitoid distribution following dispersal to determine
a) if this wasp is a good candidate for use in refuges and
b) the appropriate placement for natural enemy refuges
3. Establish a means of dispensing information concerning biological control to COA clientele.
We have also made progress on identifying other aspects of B. tabaci flight behavior. We found no evidence for an oogenesis flight syndrome. Those B. tabaci capable of long flight contain relatively high levels of vitellogenin. Also, individuals flying close to ground had a significant increase in egg-load. We found what we consider to be a continuum rather than rather than a strict dichotomy in the flight behavior between foraging and migratory B. tabaci. We are also working to examine factors that promote flight and arrestment of flight in B. tabaci.
1998 Publications
Blackmer, J. L. and D. N. Byrne. 1998. The effect of Bemisia argentifolii on amino acid balance in Cucumis melo. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata submitted.
Blackmer, J. L. and D. N. Byrne. 1998. The role of plant amino acids in determining life-history traits and flight propensity in Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata submitted.
Isaacs, R. and Byrne, D. N. 1998. Aerial distribution, flight behavior and eggload: their inter-relationship during dispersal by the sweetpotato whitefly. Journal of Animal Ecology 67: 741-750.
Isaacs, R., D. N. Byrne and D. L. Hendrix. 1998. Feeding rates and carbohydrate metabolism by Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on different quality phloem saps. Physiological Entomology 23: 241-248.
Isaacs, R., M. A. Willis and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Visually-mediated foraging flight by Bemisia tabaci at different wind speeds. Physiological Entomology submitted.
Isaacs, R., M. Cahill and D, N. Byrne. 1998. Host-evaluation by Bemisia tabaci, and its modification by insect genotype and imidachloprid exposure. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata accepted.
Isaacs, R., M. Cahill and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Is response to plant chemistry by Bemisia tabaci mediated by internal or external gustation? Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata submitted.
Kerns, D. L., J. C. Palumbo and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Relative susceptibility of red and green forms of the green peach aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) to insecticides. Southwestern Entomologist 23: 17-25.
Veenstra, K. H. & D. N. Byrne. 1998. The effects of physiological factors and host plant experience on the ovipositional activity of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata in press
Veenstra, K. H. and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Behavioral aspects of dispersal by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Journal of Insect Behavior submitted.
Veenstra, K. H. and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Does dispersal affect the reproductive physiology of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci? Physiological Entomology accepted.
Veenstra, K. H. and D. N. Byrne. 1998. Effects of starvation and oviposition activity on the reproductive physiology of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. Physiological Entomology 23: 62-68.
This page was constructed by Gail Kampmeier at gkamp[at]uiuc.edu
Please direct questions of content and prospects of collaborative research to respective scientists.
Research reports do not constitute publication and results may be preliminary. They are included here for informational purposes only. You should contact the authors for further information. Any references to commercial products do not constitute endorsement.
