The Situation: The giant whitefly, a pest of over 50 common ornamental plants, was discovered in southern San Diego County in 1992. It continues to extend its range northward into California where it was found around San Luis Obispo on the central Coast by the late 1990’s, and by around 2005 this pest was established...
The Situation: When the silverleaf whitefly (SLW) (also known as Bemisia tabaci strain B) struck southern California’s desert valleys in fall 1991, clouds of these tiny insects could be seen moving across the region, which produces 90 percent of the fall and winter vegetables grown in the U.S. Research conducted at the University of California...
The Situation: Ash whitefly represents an outstanding biological control success in California. Ash whitefly was first introduced into California in the late 1980s and was a significant pest of fruit and shade trees such as ash, pear and pomegranate. In the absence of natural enemies, ash whitefly populations exploded out of control. The pest originated...
The Situation: Originating in Asia, the citrus leafminer (CLM) was first discovered in Florida in 1993. These small moths rapidly became a significant pest, with infestation rates of up to 90% in some areas in Florida being observed within the year of introduction. By 1995, the citrus leafminer was discovered in Texas, Central America, western...