Encarsia tricolor
| Encarsia tricolor | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Aphelinidae |
| Genus: | Encarsia |
| Species: | E. tricolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Encarsia tricolor Foerster, 1878 | |
Encarsia tricolor is a wasp in the family Aphelinidae and a parasitoid of cabbage whitefly (Aleyrodes proletella).
Description
Adult Encarsia tricolor lay eggs in whitefly nymphs, then develop as endoparasitoids inside the nymph, emerging as adult females in 18 to 23 days. Males develop only hyperparasitically in other whitefly parasitoids, including female Encarsia tricolor[1] and Encarsia formosa.[2] Immature E. tricolor overwinter inside of whitefly nymphs, completing their development and emerging in spring. Several generations may be completed each year.[3]
E. tricolor is the primary parasitoid of Aleyrodes proletella, an important pest of brassica crops. While E. tricolor has been observed to eliminate A. proletella in controlled settings,[4] it often arrives too late in the season to effectively control whitefly populations in the field.[5]
Distribution
Encarsia tricolor is widely distributed in Eurasia, mirroring the range of Aleyrodes proletella,[6] reaching as far east as India, with later sightings recorded in Australia.[7] An apparent member of the E. tricolor group was discovered in Brooklyn, New York in 2023, the first recorded sighting in the Americas.[4]
References
- ↑ Williams, Trevor (June 1995). "The Biology of Encarsia tricolor: An Autoparasitoid of Whitefly". Biological Control. 5 (2): 209–217. Bibcode:1995BiolC...5..209W. doi:10.1006/bcon.1995.1026 – via ResearchGate.
- ↑ Hoddle, Mark (May 13, 2026). "Encarsia formosa". Cornell University Biological Control. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ Laurenz, Sebastian; Meyhöfer, Rainer (August 29, 2021). "Conservation of Non-Pest Whiteflies and Natural Enemies of the Cabbage Whitefly Aleyrodes proletella on Perennial Plants for Use in Non-Crop Habitats". Insects. 12 (9): 774. doi:10.3390/insects12090774. PMC 8468402. PMID 34564214.
- 1 2 "Insect Identification for NYC Farmers and Gardeners" (PDF). Cornell University Harvest New York 2023 Year in Review. January 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ Laurenz, Sebastian; Brun, André; Meyhöfer, Rainer (2017). "Overwintering of Encarsia tricolor on the cabbage whitefly" (PDF). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin. 122.
- ↑ Sengonca, C.; Wang, X.Q.; Liu, B. (2001). "Development, longevity and parasitization of white fly parasitoid, Encarsia tricolor Forster (Hym., Aphelinidae), at different temperatures". Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection. 108 (3): 298–304. JSTOR 45154860 – via JSTOR.
- ↑ Heraty, John; Woolley, James; Polaszek, Andrew (2007). "Catalog of the Encarsia of the World" (PDF). Retrieved May 13, 2026.