| Sumario: | The distribution of the most important whitefly species affecting annual crops was established in Ecuador and Colombia. The greenhouse whitefly Trialeudores vaporariorum (Westwood) and the biotypes A and B of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) were identified through RAPD with the primer OPA-04. T. vaporariorum was found in all tropical highlands and înterandean valleys of Co lombia and Ecuador attacking dry beans, snap beans, tomato and potato. The B biotype of B. tabaci was found throughout the Atlantic Coast of Colombia affecting cotton, tomato, melon, Brassica sp. and eggplant. Furthermore, it was the only species found along the coast of Ecuador. The distribution of the A biotype of B. tabaci was restricted to Córdoba, Sucre, Valle del Cauca, and Huila. This biotype seems to have been displaced by the B biotype, which is more aggressive. B. tabaci and T. vaporariorum seem to have well defined ecological niches but they can also coexist in certain areas like Valle del Cauca, Tolima and Huila. The distribution, according to the elevation, was as follows: the B biotype of B. tabacl was found between 0 and 890 masl, the A biotype between 50 and 1350 masl and T. vaporariorum between 600 and 2830 masl.
|
|---|