Investigations on Cales noacki howard (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), parasitoid of woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus maskell (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

ABSTRACT PhD INVESTIGATIONS ON Cales noacki HOWARD (HYMENOPTERA: APHELINIDAE), PARASITOID OF WOOLLY WHITEFLY, Aleurothrixus floccosus MASKELL (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE)Gonca VATANSEVER DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PROTECTION INSTITUTE OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF ÇUKUROVA Supervisor: Prof.Dr. M. Rifat ULUSOY Year: 2004, Pages: 75 Jury: Prof.Dr. M. Rifat ULUSOY (Supervisor) Prof.Dr. Nedim UYGUN ^ Prof.Dr. Abdurrahman YÎGÎT Prof.Dr. Zeynep YOLDAŞ Assoc.Prof.Dr. Cengiz KAZAK In the study, some morphological features, biology, ecology on different temperatures, host-parasitoid relationship, population fluctuation, efficiency and generation number of Cales noacki Howard (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) a parasitoid of Woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus Maskeli (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) were studied. Immature stages development time and longevity of female and male of C. noacki were tested at 18, 22, 26, 30, 34 °C constant and 18/26, 26/34 °C variable temperature and development time and longevity decreased with increasing temperatures. Since A. floccosus eggs did not hatch at 34 °C that's why there was no development at the temperature. At different temperatures, there was not any difference between immature stages developmet time and longevity of female and male. Female and male of C. noacki fed on 10% saccharose solution lived longer than that of any other diets. Females preferred mostly second and third instar larvae, less preferred first instar larvae and pupae of A. floccosus. Besides C. noacki exhibited the Holling's type II functional response equation (disc equation) depending on increasing host density. There was no any other host of C. noacki except A. floccosus in the East Mediterranean region. While A. floccosus population was 337.5 egg+larvae+pupae/leaf in the beginnig of the study, after releasing of C. noacki, the parasitoid controlled the whitefly population that it never reached the beginning level any more, it was almost at "0" level in between 1999 and 2001. During the study the parasitisation level of the whitefly reached by 80%. The number of generations of the parasitoid in Adana were 8-9. Key Words: Aleurothrixus floccosus, Cales noacki, parasitoid, biology, population fluctuation II