This work aimed at identifying the whitefly species attacking papaya (Carica papaya L.) plants in Petrolina, Pernambuco State, Brazil, and at evaluating the influence of papaya genotypes on insect infestation. Four monthly evaluations were done to estimate the number of eggs and nymphs on eighteen papaya genotypes. Two leaves per genotype, a new leaf and an old one, were removed at each evaluation. The whitefly species was identified as Trialeurodes variabilis (Quaintance). Eggs were found mostly on the terminal and median sections of the new leaves. On the old leaves, eggs and nymphs were mainly present on the proximal and median sections, respectively. The egg numbers were statistically higher on the new leaves of the genotypes CMF-012, CMF-022, CMF-023 and CMF-047. On the old leaves the nymph numbers were the highest on CMF-022, CMF-023 and CMF-047, differing significantly from CMF-012, CMF-020, CMF-021 and CMF-034. In these, infestations were moderate comparing to the remaining genotypes studied, which presented low nymph populations. Sunrise Solo and Tainung nº1 presented low populations of eggs and nymphs of T. variabilis. In synthesis, papaya genotypes influenced differently the whitefly infestation, and the structure of the pest population varied according to leaf age.
Insecta; whitefly; Carica papaya; occurrence; plant resistance
