Florida Entomologist (1996) 79, 1-12

Mark S. Hoddle and Roy Van Driesche (1996)
Evaluation of Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) to control Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima): A lifetable analysis
Florida Entomologist 79 (1), 1-12
Abstract: Weekly releases of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan failed to control a low density population (initially, 0.51 nymphs and pupae per plant) of the whitefly Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring on greenhouse grown poinsettia plants in Massachusetts when released at the rate of 4-7 adult females per plant. A lifetable constructed for uncaged B. argentifolii in the presence of E. formosa indicated that survivorship from the first/second instar to adult emergence was 14%. In contrast, in a lifetable constructed for B. argentifolii on caged poinsettia from which E. formosa was excluded, survivorship was 67%. Release of E. formosa reduced the number of insecticide applications on poinsettia by 75%, but the cost of using E. formosa (on a per m² basis) was 9.5 times that of insecticides alone.
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Database assignments for author(s): Mark S. Hoddle, Roy G. Van Driesche

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
inundative/inoculative release
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bemisia tabaci biotype MEAM1	Euphorbia (crop)	U.S.A. (NE)
Encarsia formosa (parasitoid)	Bemisia tabaci biotype MEAM1	Euphorbia (crop)	U.S.A. (NE)