A survey of parasitoids of Bemisia spp. whiteflies in Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America

Wild and cultivated plants were surveyed in Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America for parasitoids of Bemisia spp. whiteflies. Foliage samples containing late instar Bemisia nymphs were collected and held in the laboratory for emergence of adult parasitoids. Florida collections were made weekly, biweekly or monthly depending upon the time of year and location. Samples also were collected on an irregular basis in Caribbean and Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fl Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. At least 20 species of parasitoids and one species of hyperparasitoid were reared from Bemisia. Encarsia pergandiella Howard (which may be a complex of species including the sympatric species E. tabacivora Viggiani), E. nigricephala Dozier and Eretmocerus sop. were the most abundant parasitoids, accounting for 59%, 16% and 13%, respectively, of the total reared from Bemisia. Encarsia meritoria Gahan, which is a complex of species but which may be mostly E. hispida De Santis in the New World, was rarely collected in Florida but was abundant at some sites in the Caribbean and Latin America.