Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #434538
Research Project: Basic and Applied Approaches for Pest Management in Vegetable Crops

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Two introduced species of Eretmocerus Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) are established in South Carolina, United States of America

Author
item LAHEY, ZACHARY - Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services
item Simmons, Alvin
item Andreason, Sharon

Submitted to: Journal of Natural History
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Two natural enemies of economically consequential whitefly pests were documented to be established in South Carolina, USA, for the first time. These natural enemies were previously released in other parts of the country to control whiteflies, but their establishment status in the state of South Carolina has remained unconfirmed. This publication documents their establishment, reports relevant historical context, and provides genetic resources for the species. Updating fauna records and providing genetic resources is of interest to the scientific community and pest management specialists and helps American farmers by providing new, updated resources for insect pest management.

Technical Abstract: Two species of Eretmocerus Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) that were released in the United States as part of separate classical biological control programs were recovered from their respective host whiteflies in South Carolina, USA. Eretmocerus debachi Rose & Rosen was found parasitizing bayberry whitefly, Parabemisia myricae (Kuwana), on sweet viburnum. Eretmocerus mundus Mercet was found parasitizing silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), on zucchini. The historical context needed to make sense of the extralimital distribution of both parasitoids is provided and discussed. Genetic resources for each species are provided to facilitate ongoing research into the phylogenetics and species limits within Eretmocerus.