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Classical Biological Control of Bemisia tabaci in the United States - A Review of Interagency Research and Implementation pp 71–87Cite as

Systematics and Biology of Encarsia

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Part of the book series: Progress in Biological Control ((PIBC,volume 4))

The genus Encarsia includes 343 described species and numerous undescribed species. Immatures are parasitoids of various whiteflies, armored scales, aphids, Lepidoptera or even the opposite sex of the same species. Several species are known to attack Bemisia, but so far, none have proved effective in the control of the pest species in this genus. The taxonomy and classification of Encarsia species is undergoing rapid changes using both morphological and molecular techniques. Wolbachia and newly discovered bacteria are associated with sex ratio distortion in species of Encarsia. Whiteflies appear to be the basal host associated with members of this genus, with only a few species potentially host specific for Bemisia whiteflies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, 92521, Riverside, CA, USA

    John M. Heraty

  2. Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum, SW7 5BD, London, UK

    Andrew Polaszek

  3. Plant Sciences Institute, USDA-ARS, 20705-5103, Beltsville, MD, USA

    Michael E. Schauff

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  1. John M. Heraty
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  2. Andrew Polaszek
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-APHIS-PPQ, 02542, Otis, MA, USA

    Juli Gould

  2. USDA-ARS, 19713-3814, Newark, DE, USA

    Kim Hoelmer

  3. USDA-ARS, 78596, Weslaco, TX, USA

    John Goolsby

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Heraty, J.M., Polaszek, A., Schauff, M.E. (2008). Systematics and Biology of Encarsia. In: Gould, J., Hoelmer, K., Goolsby, J. (eds) Classical Biological Control of Bemisia tabaci in the United States - A Review of Interagency Research and Implementation. Progress in Biological Control, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6740-2_4

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