PRESENT STATUS OF CITRUS WHITEFLIES (HOMOPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE) IN TURKEY AND THEIR CONTROL

Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead) and Parabemisia myricae (Kuwana) have beco me the most serious citrus pests in Turkey since 1965 and 1982, respec tively. In August 1994, two new citrus whiteflies, Aleurothrixus flocc osus (Maskell) and Paraleyrodes minei, Iaccarino were determined in th e East Mediterranean region of Turkey. D. citri and P. myricae thrive best in dense citrus stands with little air movement and high humidity . They are attacked by many indigenous predators, which have, however, only a minor impact on their population dynamics. Studies on biologic al control of D. citri, have been carried by mass culturing and releas ing the parasitoid Encarsia laborensis Howard in the Aegean region of Turkey. Another promising biological control agent, the coccinellid Se rangium parcesetosum Sicard, is mass cultured and released in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey. Despite promising results, complete b iological control of D. citri by using E. laborensis and S. parcesetos um has not been achieved yet. D. citri is controlled by cultural metho ds (wide-space planting, thorough pruning, weed control etc.) and by m ineral oil sprays once or twice a year. These measures were not suffic ient to suppress P. myricae, but biological control with the aphelinid wasp Eretmocerus debachi Rose and Rosen has proven to be a complete s uccess. Integrated control measures are presently being developed for A. floccosus and P. minei.