Spread of the spiraling white fly Aleurodicus dispersus (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and its parasitoids Encarcia species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on horticultural plants in Northwest and Central Nigeria

Abstract

A survey was conducted in central and northwestern Nigeria to establish the extent of Aleurodicus dispersus Russel and Encarsia spp. spread on horticultural plants, especially citrus. The population dynamics of A. dispersus and the impact of Encarsia spp. were monitored on citrus for a period of two years in an orchard located in central Nigeria. Survey results indicated the spread of whitefly A. dispersus and its parasitoids in parts of central and northwestern Nigeria, notably in states sharing common boundary with the republic of Benin. Population of A. dispersus tended to depend on some factors such as vegetation zone and human activities in the surveyed area. In the monitored orchard, the population of Encarsia sp. nr haitiensis Dozier, the major parasitoid species, fluctuated with that of its host Aleurodicus dispersus especially during pick periods and had impact on the host over time.