Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)

Martin, Jon H. & Camus, Josephine M., 2001, Whiteflies (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) colonising ferns (Pteridophyta: Filicopsida), with descriptions of two new Trialeurodes and one new Metabemisia species from south­east Asia, Zootaxa 2, pp. 1-19 : 17

Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)

DISTRIBUTION. Cosmopolitan.

HOST PLANTS. Filicopsida: uncertain (see below); highly polyphagous on Angiospermae.

COMMENTS. The record of this species being associated with ferns is due to Schneider (1966), subsequently quoted by Gerson (1979). However, Schneider gave no specific fernfeeding records, but discussed T. vaporariorum as a general pest of greenhouse plants: he did imply that ferns also suffered the attentions of this pest, through mentioning its polyphagy within an article on fern pests under glass. We are not aware of any authenticated record of the glasshouse whitefly colonising any pteridophyte.