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Title: THE USE OF SUCTION TRAPS TO SAMPLE WHITEFLY POPULATIONS

Author
item Leggett, Joseph
item Elhoff, Leanne

Submitted to: Silverleaf Whitefly: 1997 Supplement to the Five Year National Research and
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The use of yellow sticky cards to estimate field populations of adult whiteflies has been a futile endeavor. A motorized whitefly trap was tested to determine if cotton field sampling efficiency and predictability could be improved for adult whiteflies. The motor (Mabuchi cermag motor RE280, 3v, 7800 rpm) operated whitefly trap basically consisted of a 5.3 cm ID cylinder 8.7 cm long enclosing a 5 cm fan. The bottom of the trap was 17 c above the soil surface, and mounted on a 3 mm diameter steel rod to facilitate orientation with wind direction. Power was supplied by 4 size AA alkaline batteries. A polyester bag (13 x 19 cm) was tied around one end of the cylinder. Whiteflies were attracted to trap by yellow painted on tail-like end of the trap and blown into the bag by the fan, which killed but didn't mutilate adults. There were no significant differences in number of adult whiteflies captured among the 3-time periods and captures over time for each date were averaged for each trap. The capture of adult whiteflies/hour in suction traps located in the cotton fields compared with adults/leaf turn had the highest coefficient of determination. In preliminary test where capture of adult whiteflies were recorded from 6 am to 12 noon, the number of adults captured per hour began to decrease after 9:00 am.