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Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The whiteflies include some of the most noxious pest insects, causing damage to crops through both direct feeding and virus transmission. Despite this, there has been little research on whitefly species diversity. Dialeurodes, the largest whitefly genus, has been essentially unstudied for 80 years. For 30 years, only 3 species have been recognized in the USA, including D. citri and D. citrifolii, 2 of 56 whitefly species that attack citrus. More recently, 4 undescribed species were discovered. It was apparent that the genus deserved careful study to insure that actual and potential pests are properly classified. To this end, a cladistic analysis was made of as many as possible of the 130+ known Dialeurodes species, and it indicated that the genus should be broken into several genera. This, the second phase of the analysis, concentrates on the proper placement of species that occur in the USA. The 3 described species should be placed in nSinghiella, while the 4 undescribed species belong in Massilieurodes. Because the resulting classification will place truly related species together, it will lead to a better understanding of the pest species. This new information will be valuable to federal, state, and university personnel responsible for identification and control of whitefly crop pests. |
