DefinePK

Abstract

Serangium japonicum potential predator of Bemisia tabaci is capable of discriminating between nymphs with advanced stages of parasitoid and unparasitized nymphs. The consumption of whitefly nymphs by the adult as well 4th instar larvae beetle offered 5 days postoviposition of Eretmocerus sp. and unparasitized nymphs were almost the same indicating that beetle are unable to distinguish between parasitized and unparasitized nymphs of whitefly in early stages of parasitization The consumption of parasitized nymphs of whitefly declined with the increase in age of parasitoid inside the whitefly nymphs. Whitefly nymphs 9 days of parasitoid postoviposition were significantly less consumed than unparasitized control nymphs of same age. The avoidance was more significant at the pupal stage of parasitoid (13 days postoviposition of Eretmocerus) and was more determinant in adults than the 4th instar of S. japonicum. It can be concluded that incorporation of S. japonicum in conjunction with whitefly parasitoids in greenhouse system can suppress the rapidly increasing population of whitefly, thus enabling the whitefly parasitoids Eretmocerus and Encarsia species to keep the whitefly to acceptable thresholds without disrupting the other biological control.