- Widespread distribution. South and Central America, Africa, Caribbean, Oceania. On plants in potato, brassica and cucurbit families. An important pest of capsicum and kava.
- Eggs laid in circles, nymphs are 'crawlers' at first then settle becoming oval, black, covered by curly strands of wax; adults, 2-3 mm, look like spiralling whiteflies. They produce 'honeydew' excretion.
- Sucks plant sap; sooty moulds grow on honeydew.
- Natural enemies: a minute wasp, Encarsia formosia, is widely used to control this whitefly.
- Chemical control: soap, white or horticultural oils; note that most synthetic insecticides will kill natural enemies.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Capsicum Aleurotrachelus whitefly (168)
Aleurotrachelus or Solanum whitefly
Aleurotrachelus trachoides
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Kumar TR et al. (2016) Aleurotrachelus trachoides Back. Featured Creatures, Entomology & Nematology. UF/IFAS, University of Florida. (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/Aleurotrachelus_trachoides.htm); CABI (2019). Aleurotrachelus trachoides. Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/4410). Photos 1-8 Konrad Engelberger, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.