The whiteXy Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has caused notable damage to vegetable and cotton crops in the eastern Mediterranean region since about 1994, and has become particularly problematic in southern Turkey beginning in 2000. The development of squash silverleaf symptoms in Cucurbita species and the unprecedented high population levels in the region suggested that the B biotype, notable for the latter phenotypes, had been introduced. To test this hypothesis and determine the host distribution of the suspect introduced B biotype and its associated natural enemies, B. tabaci immature instars and adults, and the associated natural enemies were collected from cultivated and uncultivated plant species. From the southern Turkey collections, B. tabaci was found to colonize 152 species from 43 plant families. Of the plant species upon which B. tabaci was found to reproduce, 152 of them were reported as hosts of B. tabaci in Turkey. Five species of predators and two species of parasitoids were identiWed as natural enemies of the B biotype of B. tabaci in southern Turkey. Using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene all B. tabaci were identiWed as the B biotype of the B. tabaci complex, at 96-100% shared identity with reference B biotype sequences. Results indicate that this invasive biotype has displaced the local Turkey-cotton haplotype that was known to occur previously in southern Turkey.

This short note reports the first record of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Turkey. It was found on ornamental plants in the city center of Adana (Mediterranean region), but could be a threat to cotton production in the country.

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Survey studies of Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) (Homoptera, Aleyrodidae) and its parasitoid Cales noacki Howard (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) were made in 4 provinces; namely Adana, Mersin, Hatay and Osmaniye, which are the main citrus growing areas of the East Mediterranean region of Turkey. Inoculative parasitoid releases were made in regions where no or low natural parasitism occurred after obtaining preliminary results on presence of the parasitoid. The population dynamics of A. floccosus and C. noacki were examined in Silifke (Mersin), Dö rtyol (Hatay) and Yü reg ir (Adana), where the A. floccosus population was remarkably high at the beginning of the study in 1999. However, after parasitoid release, the pest population declined in all the sites and did not attain the same high levels again. Five predators, three parasitoids and one entomopathogen species were determined as natural enemies of A. floccosus. In addition, seven plant species, six of them belong to Rutaceae, were found as host plants for A. floccosus.

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In this note, we report the presence of Russellaspis pustulans (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Asterolecaniidae) in Turkey.