Ash Whitefly Biological Control
The ash whitefly, Siphoninus phyllyreae (Haliday), is native to much of Europe and Northern Africa. It was first detected in the United States in 1988 in California. Since that time it has spread across the U.S., most likely via infested nursery stock. The ash whitefly can be economically damaging to the agricultural industry, particularly the production of apples, citrus, and pomegranate. This pest also infests several ornamental trees and shrubs, such as ash, Bradford pear, Pyracanthas, Photinia, and Malus spp.
Ash whitefly infestations were first detected in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina in November 1993. The NCDA&CS initiated a biological control program to slow the spread and to reduce the population size of ash whitefly using releases of Encarsia inaron (Walker), a tiny wasp which parasitizes ash whitefly late instar larvae. The Encarsia wasp has been used successfully to control the ash whitefly in California where it resulted in a 1,000 to 10,000 fold reduction in the ash whitefly population within two years.
Infestations of ash whitefly were initially heavy in the Raleigh area, but with the spread of this parasitic wasp, the pest does not appear to cause a problem. Ash whiteflies in the Fayetteville area were also found to be parasitized by Encarsia, indicating natural dispersal of pest and natural enemy.
| For Additional Program Information Contact: |
| Kathleen Kidd – |
Biological Control Administrator |
| Email Address: |
|
| Phone: |
(919) 233-8214 |
| Fax: |
(919) 233-8394 |