Identification of Parasitoid Species Associated With Whitefly Colonies in Selected Medicinal Crops

Abstract

Whitefly is one of the serious pest groups in Sri l,anka, wliich attacks a numero;s crops including rnedicinal crops. As these insects developed resistance to ieveral groups of insecticides, high cost of insecticides against new bio-types,the elimination of their natural enemies by abuse uid *ir*r" of insecticides ancl their wide host range have make it difficult to control this insect pest. The increasing demand for insecticides free products and self defense of consumers for toxicity of insecticides force ihe cultivators to take bio-control strategy to control the whitefly outbreaks. Three medicinal plants solanum trilobatum, Eucalyptus and Syzygiurn cumini were identified as the host-plant of rvhitefly (Genus Trialeurodes) iri the Batticaloa clistrict during the study period' Whitefly infested leaves were collected ancl f}orn which non-parasitized pupae of whitefly were brushed out and parasitizecl plipae were kept with leaves until the emergence of parasitoids. Morphological characteristics of emerged pu.uritoid, weie recorded to identif,/ the species of whitefly associated parasito ids. Three hy menopteran parasitoids belon gs to fami ly Aphel inidae ,larne ly, Encarsia guade lou pae (Vi ggian i, 1 9 8 7), Encarsia pergandiella (Howard, 1907) and Eretmocerus californicus (Howard, 1895) were recordecl as the parasitoids of the whitefly colonies, infested the medicinal crops in the Batticaloa district