ABSTRACT:
Aleurocanthus woglumi is an exotic pest, widely disseminated in Brazil, with a high preference for citrus plants, but with a polyphagous feeding habit. The contribution of the state of Rio de Janeiro in the Brazilian production of citrus fruits is small; however, there are still public policies that encourage citrus production in the state. In 2010, the appearance of this pest in Rio de Janeiro was confirmed in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the dissemination ofA. woglumi in this state, conduct a survey of new species of host plants, identify and evaluate the population of natural enemies present at two orchards that grow 'Tahiti' limes (Citrus latifolia ) infested by the pest in Cachoeiras de Macacu, RJ, Brazil. In 19 municipalities, leaves of citrus and other species of plants presenting aleyrodid nymphs were collected, and yellow sticky traps were installed to capture adults for subsequent identification. At the 'Tahiti' lime orchards, the leaf collections were done to confirm the species ofAleyrodidae , and regardingA. woglumi , the natural enemies associated with this pest were collected directly from the infested plants. The results showed thatA. woglumi is wide-spread in 12 municipalities. Three new host plants forA. woglumi were identified:Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae ), Pouteria caimito (Sapotaceae ) andStruthanthus flexicaulis (Loranthaceae ). In Cachoeiras de Macacu, a new species of parasitoid ofA. woglumi nymphs was named:Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera:Aphelinidae ), while the insects in theCoccinellidae (Coleoptera) family have stood out as predators of this pest.
Key words:
Aleyrodidae; citrus blackfly; geographical distribution; facultative host plants; biological control agents
