Encounter with Encarsia cubensis, a new natural enemy of invasive woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus in Kerala, India: Implications of the findings for horticultural crops

A.M. Nimisha; Haseena Bhaskar; A. Rameshkumar; R. Sundararaj

ISSN: 0972-1045

Encounter with Encarsia cubensis, a new natural enemy of invasive woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus in Kerala, India: Implications of the findings for horticultural crops

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2025, 27(3): 447-450.

Encounter with Encarsia cubensis, a new natural enemy of invasive woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus in Kerala, India: Implications of the findings for horticultural crops

A.M. Nimisha¹, Haseena Bhaskar¹*, A. Rameshkumar ² and R. Sundararaj³

¹Department of Agriculture Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara. Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India. ²Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India. ³ICFRE-Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Malleswaram Bengaluru-560024, Karnataka, India. Corresponding e-mail: haseena.bhaskar@kau.in

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2025.v27i03.81

Key words: Woolly whitefly, Encarsia cubensis, parasitism, biological control, India.

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Abstract:

This study documents the first occurrence of Encarsia cubensis Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) as a parasitoid of the woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell), in India, with a special emphasis on horticultural crops, particularly guava. Species identification was made using morphological characterization and analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene. Surveys conducted in the field revealed that the parasitism level exceeded 70 per cent; therefore, E. cubensis could be utilised as a biological control agent for the woolly whitefly. This discovery is crucial for the integrated pest management of guava and other horticultural crops, promoting sustainable production.