WELCOME

Name of student: Parkar Huzaifa Hanif

Registration No : ADPM/18/2602
Class :Sr. Msc Agril. Entomology
New invasive pest: Rugose Spiralling
white fly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus
Martin infesting Coconut
 Introduction
• A new addition in the list of white fly species is Aleurodicus rugioperculatus
Martin.
• It was previously called as gumbo-limbo spiralling white fly, but now named
as rugose spiralling white fly.
• Its native of caribbean island and central America.
• It was first reported from coconut during 2004 at Belize, the pest had
threatened coconut palms in Florida during 2009.
• In India, it was first reported on coconut from Polalchi, Tamil Nadu and
Palakkad, Kerala during July-August 2016 (CPCRI, 2017, Sundaraj & Selvaraj,
2017)
• In India, there are about 443 genera of white flies under 64 genera, feed on
many agricultural, horticultural and forestry crop plants.
• Severe damage was noticed in the costal areas of Mangalore and Uduppi
and the infestation ranged from 20-35% in coconut.
Biology of Spiralling white fly:
• Palaniswami et al. (1995) studied the developmental biology of rugose spiralling
white fly in India.
• Females lays yellowish white eggs, which hatch in 7 days , 4-6 days (palaniswami et
al. 1995) and 5-8 days (Geetha, 2000).
• Fecundity ranges from 51.8 to 64.04 eggs / female (Mallapanavar, 2000).
• There are four nymphal instars, which are greenish, white and oval.
• Duration of first, second, third instars lasts for 2.15-6.5, 2.7- 5 days whereas fourth
instar lasts for 6.5- 8.1 days (Geetha, 2000).
• Fourth instar nymphs are covered with heavy waxy material.
• Total nymphal period usually lasts for upto 12 to 14 days and pupal period lasts for
2 to 3 days ( Palaniswami et al. 1995)
• Development from egg to adult occupies 18 to 23 days (Palaniswami et al., 1995)
and 22.5 to 29.66 days (Geetha, 2000).
• Adults are larger with dark brown eyes and forewings with characteristics dark
spots.
• Adults live for 13 to 22 days.
Efficacy of insecticides
• contact insecticides like malathion and carbaryl at 0.10% were found
effective against young nymphs. (Ragumoorthi and kempraj, 1996).
• Dichlorvos 0.08% was found toxic to various stages of spiralling white fly
(Asiya mariam, 1999).
• Triazophos 0.08% and phosalone 0.07% were equally effective against
spiralling white fly (Geetha, 2000; Mallapanavar, 2000).
• Rashid et al. (2003) conducted a trial to test the efficacy of some commonly
used insecticides against guava white fly and reported that all the synthetic
insecticides reduced the population of different stages of white fly. They also
stated that dimethoate was found most effective in controlling spiralling
white fly of guava followed by spray treatment with phosphamidon,
cypermethrin, malathion while dichlorvos was comparatively less effective
insecticides.
• Siavash Taravati (2017) studied the management of rugose spiralling white
fly and revealed that the pest suppression is more in the stem injection of
imidacloprid than in drenching.
Methods of recording observations:
• The observations were recorded on number of adults of spiralling white fly
on randomly selected one coconut palm and three leaflets per palm with
different directions.(Mane et al.,2019)
• The pre treatment observations were recorded a day before application of
insecticidal treatments and post treatment observations were recorded at 1,3
,7 and 15 days after application of the insecticides. (Mane et al., 2019).
• Thus, the data obtained on population count was subjected to appropriate
transformation and were analyzed statistically. (Mane et al., 2019).
Result and discussion:
• seasonal incidence of the rugose spiralling white fly was recorded on coconut
palms at Department of Horticulture, Nursery No.4, College of Agriculture, Dapoli.
(Mane et al. 2019).
• The weekly observations on white fly population were recorded and data were
summarised statistically in tabular form.(Mane et al. 2019).
• It was evident from the data that the population of RSW was noticed throughout
the period however, the incidence was noticed from 40th meteorological week
coinciding with first week of October 2018 to 24 th meteorological week with
second week of May 2019, which were in the range of 10.08 to 41.94 adults/
leaves.(Mane et al. 2019).
• The present results indicated that the RSW was found throughout the year on the
coconut palm.
• This is an agreement with the report of Geetha (2000) found high populations of
spiralling white fly in field crops during May to October.
• The studies on biology of SWF revealed that the female laid on an average 50.7
eggs on adaxial surface of leaves in loose spiral pattern covered with wax.
• The eggs were smooth surfaced, elliptical, translucent and light yellowish in colour.
• The average length and breadth of eggs were0.30mm and 0.12 mm,
respectively.
• The incubation period lasted for 7.4 days with 95% egg hatching.
• There were four nymphal instars.
• The first instar nymphs were translucent yellowish in colour, with a convex
dorsum having functional legs.
• The avrage duration of first, second, third and fourth instars were 5, 5.5,
6.6 and 6.6 days, respectively.
• The total nymphal period varied from 22 to 26 days with an average of
23.7 days.
• Fourth instar nymph was measured 1.25mm in length and 0.80mm in
breadth.
• The adults were covered with a white waxy powder, with dark reddish
brown eyes and forewing each had two characteristics dark spot.
• Males were bigger than female.
• Adults lived for 12.8 days.
• Male measured 2.97mm in length and 1.93 mm in breadth.
• The female measured 2.47mm in length and 1.47mm in breadth.
• The sex ratio for male to female was 1:1.63.
• Total lifecycle was found to be completed within 43.1 to 56.9 days, with an
average of 49.9 days.
• Based on the result of the field experiment conducted to evaluate the
efficacy of insecticides, the insecticide buprofezin 0.001 per cent and
imidacloprid 0.005 per cent can be recommended followed by lambda
cyhalothrin 0.005 per cent and thiamethoxam 0.003 per cent for controlling
rugose spiralling white fly infesting coconut , which can be incorporated in
spray schedule of coconut for control of this pest.
• However, present findings are based on single season and hence, need to be
confirmed by testing them for another two to three years before passing the
recommendation for farmers use.
• The biological study will help in designing spray schedule and time of
application of insecticides.
Thank
you…