Survey of Natural Enemies of the Sweetpotato Whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Ten Vegetable Crops in Egypt

Abstract

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a worldwide pest in diverse agroecosystems. There are numerous species of predators and parasitoids that are associated with this pest. Climate and species of vegetation can dramatically affect the distribution and incidence of these natural enemies. A field survey was conducted to determine the incidence of the primary natural enemies of B. tabaci in 10 vegetable crops in Egypt. Fifteen species of natural enemies of B. tabaci were observed, including 5 species of predators and 10 species of parasitoids. Coccinella septempunctata L. was the most commonly found predator, and it was found in four of the crops. The parasitoids consisted of four species of Encarsia and six species of Eretmocerus which represents 71% of the known aphelinid parasitoid species of B. tabaci in Egypt. Eretmocerus aegypticus Evans and Abd-Rabou was the most commonly encountered parasitoid species; it was found in five of the crops. To date, this species has only been reported in Egypt. These results help define the diversity of natural enemies of B. tabaci among vegetable crops.