Encarsia lahorensis

Encarsia lahorensis (Howard)

Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Holometabola, Hymenoptera,Apocrita, Chalcidoidea, Aphelinidae.

Common name: None.

Geographical distribution: Encarsia lahorensis, of south Asian provenance, was initially introduced into California and has accompanied its host, the citrus whitefly, wherever it became established.

Hosts: The citrus whitefly, Dialeurodes citri.

Morphology: The body of the female is 0.55-0.85 mm long, and lemon-yellow in color; the smaller male (0.60 mm long) has a brown abdomen.

Life cycle: Encarsia lahorensis is a solitary, primary endoparasitoid; its fertilized (diploid) eggs are deposited in the fourth instar larvae of the host. Unfertilized (haploid) eggs are inserted into the body of the whitefly host and placed on the body of its own female larva, the males thus being hyperparasites on their own (or sometimes of other endoparasitoid) females. Eggs are deposited within the first 7-10 days of the adult life (20-50 eggs/female), and a generation is raised in 17-25 days. Under laboratory condition (26°C, 70% RH) females live about 9 days and the males 11 days. Encarsia lahorensis overwinters as both larvae and pupae.

Economic importance: Encarsia lahorensis is the most important and most commonly employed natural enemy of the citrus whitefly, killing the pest by parasitization as well as by host feeding. In Israel the pest was completely controlled by this natural enemy.

References

Argov, Y., Rossler, Y., Voet, H. and Rosen, D. 2000. Introducing Encarsia lahorensis against Dialeurodes citri in Israel: a case of successful biological control. BioControl 45: 1-10.

Argov, Y. and Rossler, Y. 1986. The introduction of Encarsia lahorensis(Howard) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) into Israel for the control of the citrus whitefly, Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 20: 1-5.

Nguyen, R. 1986. Encarsia lahorensis (Howard) a parasite of Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Florida Department Agriculture Consumer services, Entomology Circular 290, 2 pp.

Rose, M. and DeBach P. 1981. Citrus whitefly parasites established in California. California Agriculture 35: 21-23.

Viggiani, G. and Mazzone, P. 1978. Morfologia, biologia e utilizzazione di Prospaltella lahorensis How. (Hym. Aphelinidae), parassita esotico introdotto in Italia per la lotta biologica al Dialeurodes citri (Ashm.). Bolletino di Laboratorio Entomologia Agraria “Filippo Silvestri” Portici 35: 99-161.

Yael Argov, The Israel Cohen Institute for Biological Control, Citrus Marketing Board of Israel, P.O. Box 80, 50250 Bet Dagan, Israel. E-mail: yael@jaffa.co.il

Websites https://www.google.co.il/search?q=Encarsia+lahorensis&biw=1280&bih=687&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj27_irpoPKAhVHuRQKHQ4tDaIQsAQIIg