- Widespread distribution. Tropical Asia, Africa, Oceania. On citrus, but also tea and roses. An important pest.
- Eggs laid in spirals on under surface; 'crawlers' at first, and then flattened dark legless larvae; pupae with fringe of cottony wax.
- Damage is done by sucking sap, and blackening leaves as fungi grow on honeydew excreta.
- Natural enemies: parasitoid wasps.
- Cultural control: prune infested branches; apply nutrients to assist growth; use hot water to destroy ants (ants protect whitefly from biocontrol agents).
- Chemical control: use soap, white or horticultural oils. Use synthetic pyrethroids to kill ants.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Citrus orange spiny whitefly (244)
Orange spiny whitefly
Aleurocanthus spiniferus
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Gyeltshen J, et al. (2017) Orange spiny whitefly. University of Florida; FDACS-Division of Plant Industry. (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN61800.pdf); and Gyeltshen J, Hodges A (2010) Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance). Featured Creatures. Entomology & Nematology. University of Florida. (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/citrus/orange_spiny_whitefly.htm); and from CABI (2020) Aleurocanthus spiniferus (orange spiny whitefly) Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/4136).
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.