Host plant preference of the whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus Russell.
Cherry R. H.
Author Affiliation: Florida University Agricultural Research Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA.
Florida Entomologist 63 : 222-225
Abstract : Ovipositional preference and survival of Aleurodicus dispersus Russell was evaluated in the greenhouse in southern Florida on potted plants of 7 economically important species of fruit trees and bushes; the abundance of the insect and frequency of infestation were also assessed in a field survey. Oviposition preference was significantly correlated with survival, black olive (Laguncularia racemosa (Bucida buceras)) being the most favourable and the most preferred food-plant, followed by coconut and banana. Mango and seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) occupied an intermediate position, while grapefruit and sweet orange (which formed 90% of all citrus grown in Florida) were fortunately unfavourable as food-plants. In the field, overall infestation of black olive, seagrape and sweet orange was light, since although 35.3% of the trees sampled were infested, the proportion of leaves per infested tree on which living aleyrodids were present averaged only 1%.