Cabbage moth scale insect
| Cabbage moth scale insect | ||||||||||||
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Cabbage moth scale louse ( Aleyrodes proletella ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Aleyrodes proletella | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The cabbage moth scale louse ( Aleyrodes proletella ), also known as the whitefly on cabbage , is a plant louse from the Aleyrodidae family .
features
The cabbage moth scale is about 1.5 mm long. The white plant louse has red eyes. There is a dark pattern on their wings.
Occurrence
The cabbage moth scale is native to parts of Eurasia and Africa. The species spreads worldwide. It has established itself as a neozoon in North and South America, as well as Australia and New Zealand . It was found in the northeast of the United States in 1993 and in California in 2001.
Way of life
The whiteflies can be found both in forests and on agricultural land. The polyphagous plant lice have a variety of host and fodder plants such as alfalfa or clover, but especially cruciferous plants (Cruciferae). Depending on the climatic conditions (especially the temperature) there are between two and six generations per year. The nymphs hatch 12 days after laying eggs. There are three stages of nymphs. The subsequent pupal stage lasts 10 days. The adults hibernate on the underside of leaves. The natural enemies of Kohlmottenschildlaus include lacewings , ladybugs , spiders and insects that act as generalist predators.
Harmful effect
The cabbage moth scale insect is considered to be a minor pest on white cabbage , Brussels sprouts , cauliflower , broccoli and kale . It is not considered to be a vector of plant pathogens. However, it causes a deterioration in the quality of the vegetables concerned through its eggs, nymphs, wax deposits and excretions. Mass infestation can lead to leaf wilting. Insecticides usually only work on adult lice and young nymphs.
Beneficial effect
In contrast to the greenhouse whitefly ( Trialeurodes vaporariorum ), the cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) do not belong to the host and fodder plants of the great whitefly. To combat the greenhouse whitefly, the wasp Encarsia formosa is used as a parasitoid , which also uses the whiteflies as a breeding reservoir. Thus, whiteflies are also used as "beneficial insects".
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Pest Alert: Cabbage Whitefly Aleyrodes proletella (PDF 1.7 MB) Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i N.A. Martin: Interesting Insects & other Invertebrates: Cabbage whitefly - Aleyrodes proletella . Landcare Research. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
Web links
- Aleyrodes proletella (Linnaeus, 1758) in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved March 8, 2017
- www.biolib.cz - taxonomy, photos