Abstract

CALDERON-HERNANDEZ, Manuela. Evaluation of the effect of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on the growth of Oreopanax floribundus (Araliaceae) seedlings. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2018, vol.42, n.164, pp.255-261. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.668.

Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) is a phytopathic insect that affects different types of crops. The Botanical Garden of Bogota carries out the massive propagation of native species from the high Andean forest and páramo, in which the presence of whitefly has been evidenced. Our aim was to document if Oreopanax floribundus can be a host plant for T. vaporariorum and to determine if its presence affects the growth of the plant. The experiment consisted of three treatments: T1 = control, T2 = seedlings with a low infestation of T. vaporariorum, and T3 = seedlings with a high infestation. The record was made in two moments, at the beginning of the experiment (t0) and two months after the infestation (t1). The height, the number of leaves, and the dry weight were recorded in t0 and t1 and the number of nymphs in t1 in new and old leaves. Differences were found between the number of immature flies present in new leaves and old leaves (p<0,05), but no differences were found between treatments in growth measured in dry weight and number of leaves (p>0,05). There were differences (p<0,05) in the height between treatments where T2 and T3 showed a higher growth than T1. In conclusion, evidence was provided that can classify O. floribundus as a host plant of T. vaporariorum, and the opportunity opens up to further study if O. floribundus can be tolerant to T. vaporariorum, which is favorable for the massive propagation of this species.

Keywords : Mano de oso tree; Herbivory; Phytophagous; Westwood; Whitefly.

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