Abstract:
Whitefly is one of the serious pest groups in Sri l,anka, wliich attacks a
numero;s crops including rnedicinal crops. As these insects developed
resistance to ieveral groups of insecticides, high cost of insecticides
against new bio-types,the elimination of their natural enemies by abuse
uid *ir*r" of insecticides ancl their wide host range have make it difficult
to control this insect pest. The increasing demand for insecticides free
products and self defense of consumers for toxicity of insecticides force
ihe cultivators to take bio-control strategy to control the whitefly outbreaks.
Three medicinal plants solanum trilobatum, Eucalyptus and Syzygiurn
cumini were identified as the host-plant of rvhitefly (Genus Trialeurodes)
iri the Batticaloa clistrict during the study period' Whitefly infested leaves
were collected ancl f}orn which non-parasitized pupae of whitefly were
brushed out and parasitizecl plipae were kept with leaves until the
emergence of parasitoids. Morphological characteristics of emerged
pu.uritoid, weie recorded to identif,/ the species of whitefly associated
parasito ids. Three hy menopteran parasitoids belon gs to fami ly Aphel inidae
,larne ly, Encarsia guade lou pae (Vi ggian i, 1 9 8 7), Encarsia pergandiella
(Howard, 1907) and Eretmocerus californicus (Howard, 1895) were
recordecl as the parasitoids of the whitefly colonies, infested the medicinal
crops in the Batticaloa district
