<i>Aleurocanthus spiniferus</i> (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Some European Countries: Diffusion, Hosts, Molecular Characterization, and Natural Enemies

oleh: Francesco Nugnes, Stefania Laudonia, Giovanni Jesu, Maurice Gerardus Maria Jansen, Umberto Bernardo, Francesco Porcelli

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-01-01

Deskripsi

After the first record in 2008 in Southeast Italy, the alien invasive and quarantine pest <i>Aleurocanthus</i> <i>spiniferus</i> (orange spiny whitefly&#8212;OSW) has gradually spread throughout Europe, infesting several new host plants in addition to the known hosts. Molecular characterization of some Italian populations and a newly found Albanian population highlighted two different haplotypes invading Europe, belonging to one of the haplogroups previously recorded in China. A predator was recorded for the first time in several fields in Italy in association with OSW and other whitefly species. It was successively identified through a morpho-molecular characterization as a Nearctic member of the tribe Serangiini, the ladybird beetle, <i>Delphastus</i> <i>catalinae</i>. This predator represents a promising biocontrol agent to manage <i>A.</i> <i>spiniferus</i> outbreaks in Italy and other invaded countries.