• The spiralling white fly (aleyrodidae)

Classification of the organism

Common name	Order/Family	Scientific name	Plants/attacked parts	Localization
Spiralling whitefly		Aleurodicus dispersus Russel

Description

The adults of white colour have, at rest, wings triangular in shape;the larvae are oval and the nymphs, last larval stage of larger size (2,5 mm), still called pupae or puparia, are covered with long white fluff. Larvae and adults secrete honey dew that makes the leaves sticky and bright ; in the absence of any adult or larva, one must look for the presence of egg laying in spiral shape (hence the English name of spiralling whitefly), the spiral shape varying according to the morphology and the hairiness of the leaf. More often, egg laying and the different stages of the insect are situated on the lower surface of the leaf; the egg laying is a good indicator of the presence of the insect in an area, but it is possible to observe egg laying on a plant that is not a preferred host for the insect.

Description of the damages

 

A. dispersus causes direct weakness of the plant due to the nutrition of the larvae and the adults ; indirect damages appear following the secretions of the insect (honey dew) making the leaves sticky and favouring the development of sooty mould, to which must be added the dispersalof fluff by the wind; those damages have more repercussions in public places (green spaces, terraces, car parks, swimming pools). This white fly is not known to be a virus vector.

Host Plants list

Plante hôte	Degré d'infestation
Acalypha sp	High (+++) in Réunion (R)
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)	+++ R
Carica papaya (Pawpaw)	+++ R
Plumeria rubra (Frangipani)	+++ R
Syzygium cumini (Jambolun plumlong)	+++ R
Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia)	Medium (++) R
Cardiospermum halicacabum	++ R
Moringa oleifera (horse raddish)	Weak (+) R
Cocos nucifera (Coconut)	+ R
Convolvulus (Liseron)	+ R
Momordica charantia (Balsam apple)	+ R
Mangifera indica (Mango)	+ R
Cestrum nocturum (Night jasmin)	+ R
Musa spp	+ R
Passifloraceae	+ R
Palmier multipliant	+ R
Capsicum spp
Citrus spp
Hibiscus spp
Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato)
Psidium guajava (Goyava)
Persea americana (Avocado)
Prunus spp
Solanum melongena (Egg plant)	In Caribbean islands

Country of edition

Réunion

Author/Institution

Service de Protection des Végétaux

Control methods

Control measures against spiraling white fly in the Seychelles
Control methods against the spiralling whitefly in Réunion



Photograph : Philippe RYCKEWAERT, CIRAD