Bio-morphometry of invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin on three tropical fruit crops: A host suitability assessment
Article Main
Abstract
The rugose spiralling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is an invasive insect pest in Bangladesh, first reported in 2019 on coconut, and is characterized by a wide host range and high damage potential. Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is an economically important tropical fruit crop in Bangladesh, providing substantial income and livelihood support for growers; however, its production has declined sharply following the invasion of RSW. To investigate the developmental performance of RSW, the present study evaluated its developmental biology and morphometry on three major fruit crops, native coconut, banana, and guava as well as three dwarf coconut cultivars (Siam Blue, Siam Green, and DJ Sompurna). Incubation period, oviposition period, total life cycle duration, and morphometric traits were assessed on selected host plants under laboratory conditions. Results showed that the RSW life cycle duration was shorter on all coconut cultivars (37.6 ± 0.92 to 38.4 ± 0.67 days) and differed significantly from that on banana (41.8 ± 0.80 days) and guava (45.4 ± 0.60 days). Egg and nymphal length and width were greater in coconut cultivars than in banana and guava, indicating greater host suitability of coconut for RSW. Morphometric parameters differed significantly among coconut cultivars, banana, and guava. These host-dependent differences in developmental duration and morphometric traits provide important insights into the biology and host suitability of RSW and can support improved monitoring, risk assessment, and timing of control measures within integrated pest management (IPM) programs.
Article Details
Article Details
Keywords
Fruit crops, Host suitability, Life cycle , Morphometry, Rugose spiralling whitefly
References
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Avery, P. B., Kumar, V., Simmonds, M. S. J. & Faull, J. (2015). Influence of leaf trichome type and density on the host plant selection by the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Applied Entomology and Zoology, 50(1), 79–87.
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Boughton, A. J., Mendez, M. A., Francis, A. W., Smith, T. R., Osborne, L. S. & Mannion, C. M. (2015). Host stage suitability and impact of Encarsia noyesi (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), in florida. Biological Control, 88, 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2015.04.016
Byrne, D. N., Cohen, A. C. & Draeger, E. A. (2011). Water uptake from plant tissue by the egg pedicel of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 68(6), 1193–1195. https://doi.org/10.1139/z90-177
Byrne, D. N. & Miller, W. B. (1990). Carbohydrate and amino acid influences on whitefly biology. In D. Gerling (Ed.), Whiteflies: Their Bionomics, Pest Status, and Management (pp. 227–261). Intercept Limited, Andover, UK.
Das, G., Uddin, M. M., Roy, B. K. & Ahemed, M. S. (2023). Identification of rugose spiralling whitefly infesting host plants in Bangladesh and assessment of its damage severity. American Journal of Entomology, 7(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20230701.11
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Elango, K., Nelson, S. J., Sridharan, S., Paranidharan, V. & Balakrishnan, S. (2019). Biology, distribution and host range of new invasive pest of India coconut rugose spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin) in Tamil Nadu and the status of its natural enemies. International Journal of Agricultural Science, 11(9), 8423–8426.
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Francis, A. W., Stocks, I. C., Smith, T. R., Boughton, A. J., Mannion, C. M. & Osborne, L. S. (2016). Host plants and natural enemies of rugose spiraling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Florida. Florida Entomologist, 99(1), 150–153. https://doi.org/10.1653/02 4.099.0134
Karban, R. & Baldwin, I. T. (1997). Induced Responses to Herbivory. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Kumar, V., McKenzie, C. L., Mannion, C., Stocks, I., Smith, T. & Osborne, L. S. (2013). Rugose spiraling whitefly Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).
Kumara, A. D. N. T., Chandrashekharaiah, M., Kandakoor, S. B. & Chakravarthy, A. K. (2015). Status and management of three major insect pests of coconut in the tropics and subtropics. In A. K. Chakravarthy (Ed.), New Horizons in Insect Science: Towards Sustainable Pest Management (pp. 359–381). Springer India. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2089-3_32.
Liu, B., Yan, F., Chu, D., Pan, H., Jiao, X., Xie, W., Wu, Q., Wang, S., Xu, B., Zhou, X. & Zhang, Y. (2012). Difference in feeding behaviors of two invasive whiteflies on host plants with different suitability: Implication for competitive displacement. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 8(5), 697–706. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4108.
Martin, J. H. (2004). The whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Part 1 – Introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae. Zootaxa, 681, 1–119.
Mound, L. A. (1965). Effect of leaf hair on cotton whitefly populations in the Sudan Gezira. Empire Cotton Growing Review, 42, 33–40.
Pradhan, S. K., Shylesha, A. N., Selvaraj, K. & Sumalatha, B. V. (2020). Comparative biology of invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin on three host plants. Indian Journal of Entomology. Preview article, Ref. No. 20038. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-8172.2020.00125.X
Puvvala, V. R., Nagulapati, B. V. C. R., Ede, P., Alwala, K., Kavuru, U. & Ganta, K. R. (2023). Yield loss in coconut variety east coast tall (ECT) owing to rugose spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus M.) infestation. Phytoparasitica, 51, 1017–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-023-01091-w
Saranya, M., Kennedy, J. S., Jeyarani, S., Anandham, R. & Bharathi, N. (2021). Life cycle and morphometry of rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleyrodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on coconut. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 13(SI), 100–104. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v13iSI.2807
Selvaraj, K., Gupta, A., Venkatesan, T., Jalali, S. K., Sundararaj, R. & Ballal, C. R. (2017). First record of invasive rugose spiraling whitefly Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) along with parasitoids in Karnataka. Journal of Biological Sciences, 31(2), 74–78. https://doi.org/10.18311/jbc/2017/16015
Shanas, S., Job, J., Joseph, T. & Anju Krishnan, G. (2016). First report of the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the old world. Entomon, 41(4), 365–368. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v41i4.227
Stocks, I. C. & Hodges, G. (2012). Pest alert: The rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin, a new exotic whitefly in South Florida (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.
Sundararaj, R. & Selvaraj, K. (2017). Invasion of rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): A potential threat to coconut in India. Phytoparasitica, 45, 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-017-0567-0
Taravati, S. & Mannion, C. (2016). Effect of aggregation and cage setting on some life-history parameters of Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 109, 249–254. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tov299.
Taravati, S., Mannion, C., McKenzie, C. & Osborne, L. (2021). Oviposition preference of rugose spiralling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on five host plant species. Florida Entomologist, 101(4), 611–616. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.101.0423
29. Ullah, M. S., Hossain, M. A., Jahan, M., Sarker, M. A. & Hamim, I. (2021). A field guide of major insect pests and diseases of different crops in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agricultural University Extension Centre (BAUEC), BAU, Mymensingh, 500 pp.
Animal and plant health inspection service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2025). USDA APHIS mission and plant pest protection overview. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.aphis.usda.gov
Avery, P. B., Kumar, V., Simmonds, M. S. J. & Faull, J. (2015). Influence of leaf trichome type and density on the host plant selection by the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Applied Entomology and Zoology, 50(1), 79–87.
Bangladesh bureau of statistics (BBS). (2021). Statistical Yearbook Bangladesh 2021. Statistics & informatics division (SID), Ministry of Planning, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
Boughton, A. J., Mendez, M. A., Francis, A. W., Smith, T. R., Osborne, L. S. & Mannion, C. M. (2015). Host stage suitability and impact of Encarsia noyesi (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), in florida. Biological Control, 88, 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2015.04.016
Byrne, D. N., Cohen, A. C. & Draeger, E. A. (2011). Water uptake from plant tissue by the egg pedicel of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 68(6), 1193–1195. https://doi.org/10.1139/z90-177
Byrne, D. N. & Miller, W. B. (1990). Carbohydrate and amino acid influences on whitefly biology. In D. Gerling (Ed.), Whiteflies: Their Bionomics, Pest Status, and Management (pp. 227–261). Intercept Limited, Andover, UK.
Das, G., Uddin, M. M., Roy, B. K. & Ahemed, M. S. (2023). Identification of rugose spiralling whitefly infesting host plants in Bangladesh and assessment of its damage severity. American Journal of Entomology, 7(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20230701.11
Dutta, N. K., Sarker, D., Begum, K., Sarkar, M. A., Islam, M. I. & Rahman, M. M. (2019). First record of the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Bangladesh with its host range and status as coconut pest. Bangladesh Journal of Entomology, 29(2), 73–83.
Elango, K., Nelson, S. J., Sridharan, S., Paranidharan, V. & Balakrishnan, S. (2019). Biology, distribution and host range of new invasive pest of India coconut rugose spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin) in Tamil Nadu and the status of its natural enemies. International Journal of Agricultural Science, 11(9), 8423–8426.
FAOSTAT. (2022). List of countries by coconut production. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coconut_production (Accessed 10 March 2022).
Fousiya, A., Durgadevi, N., Divakar, M., Swetha, S., Yasodha, P., Gailce, C., Justin, L. & Masilamani, P. (2019). Host preference of rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). The Pharma Innovation Journal, 8(7), 643–646.
Francis, A. W., Stocks, I. C., Smith, T. R., Boughton, A. J., Mannion, C. M. & Osborne, L. S. (2016). Host plants and natural enemies of rugose spiraling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Florida. Florida Entomologist, 99(1), 150–153. https://doi.org/10.1653/02 4.099.0134
Karban, R. & Baldwin, I. T. (1997). Induced Responses to Herbivory. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Kumar, V., McKenzie, C. L., Mannion, C., Stocks, I., Smith, T. & Osborne, L. S. (2013). Rugose spiraling whitefly Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).
Kumara, A. D. N. T., Chandrashekharaiah, M., Kandakoor, S. B. & Chakravarthy, A. K. (2015). Status and management of three major insect pests of coconut in the tropics and subtropics. In A. K. Chakravarthy (Ed.), New Horizons in Insect Science: Towards Sustainable Pest Management (pp. 359–381). Springer India. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2089-3_32.
Liu, B., Yan, F., Chu, D., Pan, H., Jiao, X., Xie, W., Wu, Q., Wang, S., Xu, B., Zhou, X. & Zhang, Y. (2012). Difference in feeding behaviors of two invasive whiteflies on host plants with different suitability: Implication for competitive displacement. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 8(5), 697–706. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4108.
Martin, J. H. (2004). The whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Part 1 – Introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae. Zootaxa, 681, 1–119.
Mound, L. A. (1965). Effect of leaf hair on cotton whitefly populations in the Sudan Gezira. Empire Cotton Growing Review, 42, 33–40.
Pradhan, S. K., Shylesha, A. N., Selvaraj, K. & Sumalatha, B. V. (2020). Comparative biology of invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin on three host plants. Indian Journal of Entomology. Preview article, Ref. No. 20038. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-8172.2020.00125.X
Puvvala, V. R., Nagulapati, B. V. C. R., Ede, P., Alwala, K., Kavuru, U. & Ganta, K. R. (2023). Yield loss in coconut variety east coast tall (ECT) owing to rugose spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus M.) infestation. Phytoparasitica, 51, 1017–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-023-01091-w
Saranya, M., Kennedy, J. S., Jeyarani, S., Anandham, R. & Bharathi, N. (2021). Life cycle and morphometry of rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleyrodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on coconut. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 13(SI), 100–104. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v13iSI.2807
Selvaraj, K., Gupta, A., Venkatesan, T., Jalali, S. K., Sundararaj, R. & Ballal, C. R. (2017). First record of invasive rugose spiraling whitefly Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) along with parasitoids in Karnataka. Journal of Biological Sciences, 31(2), 74–78. https://doi.org/10.18311/jbc/2017/16015
Shanas, S., Job, J., Joseph, T. & Anju Krishnan, G. (2016). First report of the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the old world. Entomon, 41(4), 365–368. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v41i4.227
Stocks, I. C. & Hodges, G. (2012). Pest alert: The rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin, a new exotic whitefly in South Florida (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.
Sundararaj, R. & Selvaraj, K. (2017). Invasion of rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): A potential threat to coconut in India. Phytoparasitica, 45, 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-017-0567-0
Taravati, S. & Mannion, C. (2016). Effect of aggregation and cage setting on some life-history parameters of Aleurodicus rugioperculatus martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 109, 249–254. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tov299.
Taravati, S., Mannion, C., McKenzie, C. & Osborne, L. (2021). Oviposition preference of rugose spiralling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on five host plant species. Florida Entomologist, 101(4), 611–616. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.101.0423
29. Ullah, M. S., Hossain, M. A., Jahan, M., Sarker, M. A. & Hamim, I. (2021). A field guide of major insect pests and diseases of different crops in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agricultural University Extension Centre (BAUEC), BAU, Mymensingh, 500 pp.
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How to Cite
Bio-morphometry of invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin on three tropical fruit crops: A host suitability assessment. (2026). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 18(1), 96-104. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v18i1.7161
