Reproductive Behavior of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Relative to Different Host Plants in an Intensive Tomato Crop Region of Chile

Abstract

Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an important economic pest and has a worldwide distribution. In Chile, this species has been reported over a large geographical area and is associated with tomato production. Although several plants have been described as hosts of the whitefly, this insect’s behavior against multiple hosts is still unclear. Therefore, the objective of our work was to identify the host plants, behaviors, preferences, performance, and choices of T. vaporariorum. First, over one year, we monitored nine production sites where tomato is the principal crop and identified 50 host plants belonging to 27 families, mostly Asteraceae and Solanaceae. Among the plants, those that were most infested by greenhouse whiteflies comprised Solanum lycopersicum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Cucurbita maxima, Malva sylvestris, Bidens aurea, and Sonchus oleraceus. In laboratory tests, greenhouse whiteflies showed a greater preference for S. oleraceus, S. lycopersicum, and P. vulgaris. The highest population growth rate was observed for B. aurea, followed by S. lycopersicum and S. oleraceus. Significant differences were found in the pairwise choice test, showing a greater preference for C. maxima and S. lycopersicum. Although this pest tends to choose tomatoes, this crop was not always the first choice in terms of preference and performance. This information is necessary for the development of integrated whitefly management programs that include adjacent habitats.