SEARCHING RATE AND POTENTIAL OF SOME NATURAL ENEMIES AS BIO-AGENT AGAINST THE COTTON WHITEFLY, BEMISIA-TABACI GENN. (HOM., ALEYRODIDAE)

The searching rate of the two aphelinid parasitoids, Eretmocerns munda s Mere. and Prospaltella lutea Masi, and the two predators, Chrysoperl a cai nea Steph. and Coccinella undecimpunctata L., were evaluated on Bemisia tabaci in the laboratory. Analysis of the obtained data indica ted that E. mundus had a high searching rate with relatively low mutua l interference in comparison with P. lutea. C. carnea also showed a hi gher searching rate than C. undecimpunctata. E. mundus exhibited a hig her density dependent response to B. tabaci population on Lantana cama ra than P. lutea in October and December, while P. lutea exhibited the same response in August. Key factor analysis proved that the first in star larvae had the highest rate of mortality among the immature stage s. Mortality caused by E. mundus contributed with high fate of total g eneration mortality (K) in comparison with P. lutea. The same result w as obtained in the case of C. carnea against C. undecimpunctata.