THE IMPACTS OF WHITEFLIES ON CHILLI AND THE EFFICACY OF THEIR PREDATORS AS BIOCONTROL AGENTS

Abstract

Whiteflies (Homoptera, Aleyrodidae) are pests that greatly affect chilli {Capsicum annuum L.) production in Asia (de Barro et al., 2008). In this study, the most dominant whitefly affecting chilli was Tetraleurodes sp. Over time, whitefly-affected plants did not grow as tall, had fewer leaves, and greater mortality. Biological control using predators could be the key to dealing with whitefly populations as insecticides are increasingly becoming ineffective (Dittrich et al •? 1990; van Lenteren et al” 1997). Whitefly predators identified were Acletoxenus quadristriatus Duda (Diptera: Drosphilidae), Acletoxenus indicus Malloch (Diptera: Drosphilidae), Axinoscymnus sp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Scymnus spp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Their abundance, life history, and voracity were investigated to determine their efficacy for biocontrol. Overall, Axinoscymnus sp. had the best potential in small sites as it had the fastest development time (15.4 days), longest adult lifespan (36.4 days) and was the most voracious (61.7 whiteflies eaten per day) despite being less mobile. It was also unattracted to olfactory cues exuded by whiteflies or chilli plant leaves.