Reproductive Behavior of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Relative to Different Host Plants in an Intensive Tomato Crop Region of Chile

Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an important economic pest and has a worldwide distribution. In Chile, this species been reported over large geographical area associated with tomato production. Although several plants have described as hosts of the whitefly, insect’s behavior against multiple still unclear. Therefore, objective our work was to identify host plants, behaviors, preferences, performance, choices T. vaporariorum. First, one year, we monitored nine production sites where principal crop identified 50 belonging 27 families, mostly Asteraceae Solanaceae. Among those that were most infested by greenhouse whiteflies comprised Solanum lycopersicum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Cucurbita maxima, Malva sylvestris, Bidens aurea, Sonchus oleraceus. laboratory tests, showed greater preference for S. oleraceus, P. vulgaris. The highest population growth rate observed B. followed lycopersicum Significant differences found in pairwise choice test, showing C. maxima lycopersicum. tends choose tomatoes, not always first terms performance. This information necessary development integrated whitefly management programs include adjacent habitats.