The bayberry whitefly, Parabemisia myricae, in Florida

The whitefly, Bemisia myricae, was described by Kuwana (1927) from Japan on the hosts Myrica rubra, Morus alba, and Citrus. Takahashi (1952) transferred this whitefly to the genus Parabemisia because of long marginal setae on the so-called “pupal” case and blunt lateral tubercles at the base of the lingula (Fig. 1).

Bayberry whitefly was first discovered in the U.S. by California agriculture officials in 1978 (Rose et al. 1981), and in Florida by agriculture officials in early 1984 (Hamon 1986). Early dense populations caused defoliation in California citrus (Rose et al. 1981) but this has not happened in Florida. The early finds in Florida were under natural biological control by hymenopterous parasites, including Eretmocerus sp. Apparently, the parasites were introduced with the whitefly. According to Mike Rose (personal communication) the Eretmocerus species present in Florida is the same as that found in California.

It was not until 1989 that any population in Florida was large enough to cause damage. This occured in a nursery/greenhouse of the United States Sugar Corporation, Clewiston, Florida, on small citrus seedlings. A chemical control program was being carried out which eliminated the Eretmocerus sp., but not the bayberry whitefly. Outdoors this whitefly is under biological control in Florida, and is only a problem in situations where natural balances are disturbed by the use of chemicals.