Whiteflies
- First reported invasive spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus is now distributed throughout India except Jammu & Kashmir.
- Similarly, the rugose spiralling whitefly reported in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu in 2016 has now spread across the country including the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands and has affected about 1.35 lakh hectares of coconut and palm oil trees in India.
- Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves.
- They are one of the top ten devastating pests in the world that damage more than 2000 plant species and also function as vectors for some 200-plant viruses.
- Cotton is one of the worst hit crops by these.
- The whiteflies are difficult to control by using synthetic insecticides, and hence currently naturally occurring insect predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi (fungi that can kill insets) are being used.