The silverleaf whitefly is today one of most important pests of tomato. The use of botanical extracts to control this insect is an interesting technique, but more research about it should be carried out. The objective of this work was to determine the bioactivity of aqueous extracts of Melia azedarach leaves and Trichilia pallida twigs on the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B, reared on tomato. Extracts were applied to eggs, and mortality and duration of egg and nymphal stages were evaluated in two experiments. In the first experiment, extracts were tested at concentrations of 1 and 2% (w/v) and in the second experiment the concentration of 3% was added. The ovicidal effect was observed in all treatments. The highest value was obtained with the extract of T. pallida at 3% (52.32%). For the other treatments the mortality ranged between 16 and 37%. The extracts applied on eggs presented low effect on nymphs. With exception of T. pallida at 2%, in the first experiment, where the nymphal mortality was 26.42%, in the other treatments the values were lower than 16%. The duration of egg and nymph periods were not affected by the extracts.
Melia azedarach; Trichilia pallida; Bemisia tabaci; silverleaf whitefly
