Whitefly predator, Delphastus pusills are tiny about 1.15 inch long lady bird beetles that belong to the family Coccinellidae. Both the larvae and adults are predatory in nature. Adults of these beetles can fly from plant to plant but larvae move slowly on the leaves. These predatory beetles are hemispherical in size and dark brown to black in color. Adult females generally lay very small eggs (about 0.2 mm) among whitefly eggs. Each female lays about 2-5 eggs per day and a total about 300 eggs during its lifetime. These eggs hatch into small pale-yellow to cream colored larvae which are very aggressive predators that are known to consume a large number of eggs and immature stages of whiteflies. These predatory bugs perform better against whiteflies at an optimum temperature range between 60-90°F (16-35°C) and a relative humidity above 75%.
- - Whitefly predator Delphastus pusills effective against the following species of whiteflies
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- Azalea whitefly, Pealius spp.
- Banded-winged whitefly, Trialeurodes spp.
- California giant whitefly, Aleurodicus dugesii
- Cloudywinged citrus whitefly, Dialeurodes spp.
- Cloudywinged rhododendron whitefly, Dialeurodes spp.
- Greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum
- Hibiscus whitefly, Pealius spp.
- Japanese bayberry whitefly, Parabemisia myricae
- Silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii
- Sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci
- Tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci
- Woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus
- + Whitefly predator Delphastus pusills effective against the following other insect pests
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- Eggs of different insects
- Spider mites
- Young aphids
- + How Delphastus pusills kill and feed on the whiteflies
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Delphastus pusills are known to feed voraciously on the eggs and immature stages of whiteflies.
- After releasing in the greenhouses or fields, adults of predatory Delphastus pusills starts munching on the eggs and immature stages of whiteflies.
- Also, each female start laying about 2-5 eggs per day.
- These eggs hatch into small pale-yellow to cream colored larvae which are very aggressive predators that are known to consume a large number of eggs and immature stages of whiteflies.
- While feeding on whiteflies for 1-2 weeks, Delphastus pusills larvae mature and pupate underside of the leaves.
- After 1 week, adults of Delphastus pusills emerge from pupae and also start feeding on both the eggs and immature stages of whiteflies.
- Adults can eat over 9000-10,000 eggs of whiteflies during their lifetime.
- Under favorable environmental conditions and if there is enough food around, these predatory beetles can recycle continuously (do not need to apply again and again) and help to keep the whitefly population under economic threshold level.
- + Why you need them
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- they can reduce the crop damage by feeding on whiteflies responsible for the damage
- they can munch on different stages including eggs and larvae of whiteflies
- they are able to actively search for their hosts and feed on them
- they can reproduce and continue their life cycle on the foliage after first application
- they are commercially available and easy to apply in the greenhouses or fields
- + Why predatory Delphastus pusills are safer than traditional pesticides
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- they do not damage plants
- can be used and applied around children and pets
- do not cause any harm to the personnel involved in their production and application
- food products are safe to handle and eat when they are treated with mites
- they do not harm humans, animals and pollute the environment
- + Research Papers
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- Simmons, A.M. and Legaspi, J.C. 2004. Survival and Predation of Delphastus cataliniae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a Predator of Whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), After exposure to a range of constant temperatures. Environmental Entomology 33: 839-843.
- Simmons, A.M., Legaspi, J.C. and Legaspi, Jr., B.C. 2012. Adult survival of Delphastus cataliniae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), on diets of whiteflies, honeydew, and honey. Environmental Entomology 41:669-675.
