The Q-biotype whitefly (picture from UF/IFAS)
Fruit and vegetable growers are raising concerns over an invasive whitefly that is resistant to pesticides and carries crop-devastating viruses. The Q-biotype whitefly was found outdoors within the United States for the first time this spring in Florida. Its discovery outdoors comes more than a decade after it was first found in a U.S. retail nursery in Arizona.
Since 2005, the whitefly has also been found in about 24 U.S. states, but only in greenhouses. The Q-biotype whitefly is already considered a major invasive pest worldwide. Researchers say the pest poses a serious threat to crops such as tomatoes, beans, squash, cotton and melons. Whiteflies draw fluid out of a plant’s leaves, and excrete a sticky residue that allows fungus to grow, turning the leaves black and making it harder for them to photosynthesize.
University of Florida researchers say the whiteflies have been found in more than 40 locations across the state, including residences, wholesale nurseries and retail plant outlets.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters News Service)