DISTRIBUTION AND IDENTITY OF BIOTYPES OF BEMISIA-TABACI (GENNADIUS) (HEMIPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE) IN MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY

Samples of Bemisia tabaci were obtained from 18 Pacific island countri es between October 1996 and June 1997. All countries were found to hos t at least one biotype of B. tabaci. The occurrence of the B biotype i n the Cook Islands, Guam and New Caledonia was confirmed, and the B bi otype was newly recorded from American Samoa, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands and French Polynesia (Tahiti). A new bi otype, herein designated as the Nauru biotype, was found in American S amoa, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall I slands, Nauru, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu an d Western Samoa. This biotype was subsequently found in Taiwan. A thir d biotype, identical to the Australian form of B. tabaci, was found in New Caledonia. Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. T he clarification of the distribution of the B biotype will enable coun tries to develop quarantine strategies that will help reduce the sprea d of this pest to unaffected countries. The results also indicate trad e routes that are more likely to lead to an introduction of the B biot ype.