Whitefly

About Whitefly:

 

• These are winged insects that have soft bodies and are closely related to aphids.
• These are tiny, sap-sucking insects that may become abundant in vegetable and ornamental plantings, especially during warm weather. 
• It is naturally distributed in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico (Martin, 2008) and subsequently, it has spread to 22 other countries in Central and South America.
• It mainly infests coconut palms and other broad-leaved hosts in its native range
• It is an invasive insect.

How the insect attacks

• The whitefly starts attacking the lower leaves of the coconut palm.
• It drains the sap from the underside of the leaf, producing a significant amount of honeydew which settles on the upper surface of the next lower leaf, leading to the growth of black, sooty mould.
• This is the secondary infection from the whitefly infestation.
• It has a serious impact on the production of coconut.
• Not only does it reduce the size of the coconut, but it also decreases the coconut’s water content.

 

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Q1) What are Aphids?

Aphids, also known as plant lice, are small sap-sucking insects that belong to the superfamily Aphidoidea. They are a common pest in gardens, farms, and agricultural fields.

 

Source: Invasion of Whitefly takes a toll on coconut trees in Pune