Biological control of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Silver leaf white fly; a crucifer pest in the southern USA

Since 1991 Bemisia argentifolii, the silverleaf whitefly (SLWF), has caused annual crop losses of $500 million in the USA including crucifer crops in California and Texas. Foreign exploration for (SLWF) natural enemies has been carried out in 25 countries including SE Spain where the agricultural system is similar to parts of Texas and California where (SLWF) is a pest. Parasitized (SLWF) were sent to the APHIS/PPQ quarantine, Mission Biological Control Center, TX, (MBCC) from Murcia Spain in 1991. The Eretmocerus sp. which emerged was identified using a RAPD-PCR technique and given a unique number (Eretmocerus nr. mundus M92014 Spain ) which distinguishes it from native and other exotic species of Eretmocerus. Evaluation in both the laboratory and in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on kale, and broccoli showed that this species parasitized more (SLWF) than the native Eretmocerus spp. and other exotic parasitoids tested. It has been recovered from (SLWF) infested cole crops at several release sites through 94–96. In addition M92014 is more tolerant of selected pesticides than native US Eretmocerus spp.