Emergence of Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) Transmitted Criniviruses as Threats to Vegetable and Fruit Production in North America.

The greenhouse whitefly (GHWF) (Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood) has been a problem in greenhouses for many years, both as an insect pest capable of reducing plant productivity and longevity, as well as a virus vector (Fig. 1). Within the last ten years this whitefly pest has been emerging as a serious threat to vegetable and fruit production in the field as well. The GHWF has become a particular problem along the west coast of North America, where populations now reach levels capable of yield reduction through feeding damage alone in a number of crops (1). This region is rich in agriculture, producing the majority of vegetables and strawberries grown in the United States and in Mexico.