Effects of feeding floral resource on potential of bemisia tabaci parasitoids

The present study evaluate the role of sweet basil, Ocimum ba silicum L and geranium, Pelargonium graveolens L. as a tool to enhance the potential of Bemisia tabaci parasitoids (Encarsia lutea Masiand Eretmocerus mundus Mercet). Sweet basil significantly extended longevity of E. lutea and E. mundus females more than water treatment. The same result was obtained in E. mundus female fed on geranium flowers. The foraging behavior (searching rate and mutual interference values) of the tested parasitoids was affected according to supplemental food sources. E. lutea and E. mundus females fed on sweet basil exhibited the highest searching rate followed by geranium flowers and water, respectively. The lowest mutual interference was recorded when E. lutea and E. mundus females fed on sweet basil and geranium flowers, respectively. The feeding floral resource (sweet basil and geranium flowers) to E. lutea and E. mundus females increased their parasitism over unfed females. These results support the hypothesis that the potential of whitefly parasitoids can be increased by planting floral resources plants (geranium and sweet basil) adjacent to host plants of the pest.