The Gumbo Limbo Spiraling Whitefly: A New Pest in South Florida

摘要

This pest was first found on gumbo limbo trees in March of 2009 in Miami-Dade County and has since been found in numerous locations, including recent sightings in west Coral Gables and North Miami. There is a new pest in South Florida: The Gumbo LimboSpiraling Whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus. This whitefly is two- to three-times larger than a normal whitefly and has an extremely wide host range. According to Dr. Catharine Mannion of the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, this whitefly has been found on gumbo limbo, black olive, Calophyllum species, copperleaf, broadleaf arrowhead, cocoplum, Brazilian pepper, wax myrtle, live oak, mango, areca palms, coconut palms and several Veitchia species.