Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead)

Dialeurodes citri is mainly distributed in North India. It is serious pest in several areas. The female deposits its eggs singly on the lower surface of the leaves. A female is capable of laying up to about 200 eggs during an oviposition period of 4 days. The egg, larval and pupal stages last 10-12, 25-51 and 125-154 days, respectively in summer and 7-14, 49-71 and 114-159 days in winter. The adults live for 2 to 8 days. The insect passes through two generations in a year. The eggs of 1st generation are laid in March-April and second in August to November. The insect sucks sap, cause leaf fall and die back symptoms in endemic area. The entire plant is also covered by black sooty mould which develops on the honey dew secreted by white fly.

Dialeurodes citri has been produced on lemon plants. The plants are grown in soil filled perforated polythelene bags or in nursery, when they are about one year old they are sprayed with dichlorvos to kill any other insect colonizing the seedlings. The seedlings are then exposed (after 5 days of spray) to pure culture of adult D. citri maintained. The adult D. citri deposits several eggs on the under surface of the succulent leaves. After 24 hours, the adults are aspirated out and D. citri on the plants are allowed to develop.