First record of rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), its occurrence and infestation in the cotton ecosystem of Tamil Nadu, India

The incidence of Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was surveyed in production fields of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in Tamil Nadu, India, from December 2021 to March 2022. Whitefly counts from the survey indicated a range of 3.26 to 6.72 adults per 3 leaves. The nymphs and adults collected from the fields were examined, and their taxonomic character was confirmed. The mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I gene (mtCOI) and universal primer-based PCR amplification and sequencing have been employed in molecular techniques for further confirmation. The MEGA-X-created dendrogram evaluated using the maximum likelihood method created a single clade with sub-lineages of the specimens collected during this survey. Overall, the mean (SD) duration of the entire life cycle of A. rugioperculatus was 46.3 ± 2.85 days. In many world regions, these whiteflies have been identified as one of agricultural and horticultural crops’ most destructive insect pests. Alternative hosts close to the production fields may be monitored and managed to prevent pest populations from harboring elsewhere during the non-growing season.