First results in the use of the sterile insect technique against Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera : Aleyroididae) in greenhouses

Trials for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the sterile insect techni que for the suppression of greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum ( Westwood), both in cage and in greenhouse conditions are described. The res ults show a significant reduction of the reproductive capacity of the untre ated whitefly populations interacting with sterile insects. Untreated white flies, co-existing in a mixed population together with sterile insects, att ained less than the half (approximate to 44%) of their potential reproducti ve capacity. This trend was also evident in the cage test where the untreat ed whitefly population, crossed with the sterile whiteflies, increased with out exceeding 2/3 Of the density recorded in the control cages. These resul ts may be based on 2 joint sterile insect technique effects: primarily a dr astic reduction of the progeny of normal untreated females, when mating wit h sterile males, carriers of dominant lethal mutations, and secondarily a p rogressive reduction of the females in the population due to an increasing rate of unsuccessful matings resulting in a condition of forced arrhenotoky . No deleterious effects, on plant health and fruit quality, were observed on plants exposed to high sterile whitefly pressures.