Encarsia formosa
Description
Encarsia formosa is a parasitic wasp that feeds on whiteflies. It parasitizes greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and whiteflies of the genus Bemisia. Adults measure 0.6 mm. This miniscule wasp lays its eggs in immature whiteflies (third and fourth larval stages), with females laying 50 to 350 eggs in their lifetime.
Availability
For the commercial market only.
Targeted crops
- Market garden crops (tomato, cucumber, pepper, eggplant, etc.)
- Ornemental plants (poinsettia, gerbera, etc.)
- Indoor plants
Targeted pests
- Greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
Life cycle
- Encarsia formosa has a life cycle of approximately 28 days at 21 °C.
- The optimum conditions are a temperature above 20 ° C and a relative humidity of 50-70%.
- The females lay eggs in 2-week-old whiteflies (third and fourth larval stages).
- Females lay an average of 10 eggs per day for a total of 200-350 eggs in their lifetime.
- At the adult stage, Encarsia formosa can live from a few days to a month, depending on the temperature.
- Parasitized whitefly pupae blacken after 10-14 days. The new adult emerges after 2 weeks.
Format
card
- AB014 - Encarsia formosa - 1000 pupae (10 cards)
Introduction rate
| Introduction | Quantity | Surface | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preventive | 1 | per m2 | weekly or bi-weekly | 5 introductions in total |
| Curative light | 5 | per m2 | weekly | when over 80% of the whiteflies have been parasitized |
| Hot spot | 10 | per m2 | weekly | when over 80% of the whiteflies have been parasitized |
| Maintenance | 1 | per m2 | weekly | as needed |
Additional information
- - Encarsia Technical Manual (Applied Bio-nomics Ltd., 2018)
- - Encarsia formosa (Applied Bio-nomics Ltd., 2014)
- - Biology and use of the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa (Annual Review of Entomology, 1998)
- - The parasite-host relationship between Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) (Journal of Applied Entomology, 1980)
- - Age-Specific Interaction Between the Greenhouse Whitefly and Encarsia formosa: Influence of Host on the Parasite's Oviposition and Development (Environmental Entomology, 1977)
- - Biological control Encarsia formosa (Cornell University, 2018)
- - Whiteflies in Greenhouse Crops - Biology, Damage and Management (OMAFRA, 2016)
Targeted pest
Targeted production
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Did you know
Phytoseiulus persimilis odours reduce egg-laying by 22% (even after the predator is gone).