Occurrence of exotic parasitoid Encarsia cubensis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on Neotropical woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus and solanum whitefly Aleurotrachelus trachoides in India

The solanum whitefly, Aleurotrachelus trachoides (Back) and woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) have invaded India. They are feeding on plants belonging to the Solanaceae, Apocynaceae, and Convolvulaceae families and on guava, respectively. As a result of their invasion, regular field surveys have been conducted to identify potential biological control agents and develop effective biocontrol strategies. During these surveys, an exotic parasitoid called Encarsia cubensis Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was found to emerge on fourth instar nymphs of both A. trachoides and A. floccosus. The nymphs were collected from Duranta erecta L. and Solanum nigram L. in Karnataka, India and Psidium guajava L. in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, India. Identity of species was confirmed through their morphological and molecular characteristics. Partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene sequences (PQ397536; PQ456730; PQ456728; PQ456729) demonstrated 98.41- 99.14% similarity with E. cubensis sequence (ON881119) submitted from India. This study confirms the first occurrence and establishment of E. cubensis on A. trachoides and A. floccosus in India. E. cubensis is a tiny, solitary endoparasitoid that primarily develops within the nymphal stages of these whiteflies, ultimately leading to its death. Across the surveyed locations, natural parasitism of 24.75–48.60% on A. trachoides and 04.14–15.67% on A. floccosus were recorded. Present study paved the way for natural pest regulation of A. floccosus and A. trachoides through augmentation and conservation strategies.