Biological control of whiteflies with entomopathogenic fungi

This paper is a review of 3 fungi (Aschersonia aleyrodis Webber, Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viégas and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith that are being evaluated for the management of injurious polyphagous whiteflies and was presented as part of a conference on the potential for biological control in the Caribbean. The prospect for the utilization of biopesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi is promising. The need to develop alternatives to conventional pesticides has become apparent in recent years because two of the major whitefly pest species, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), have developed resistance to many of the insecticides used for their control. /// Se revisan en este manuscrito 3 especies de hongos: Aschersonia aleyrodis Webber, Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viegas y Paecelomyces fumosoroseous (Wize) Brown & Smith los cuales estan siendo evaluados para el manejo de moscas blancas polifagas. La futura ultilizacion de hongos como biopesticidas se considera muy prometedora. La necesidad de desarrollar alternativas a los pesticidas convencionales se hace cada vez mas aparente dado que las dos especies mas importantes de mosca blanca, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) y Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) han desarrollado resistencia a muchos de los insecticidas que se utilizan para su control.