Effects of Egg-plant as a Trap Plant Attracting Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Adults Available on Tomato Greenhouses

This study was performed to ascertain the potential of egg plant for use as a trap plant to attract Bemisia tabaci adults compared to that of tomato. Choice tests were conducted to compare the preference of B. tabaci adults to horseweed, egg-plant, cucumber, and tomato. B. tabaci adults were found to be more sensitive to visual cues than to odor cues, and they preferred the egg-plant and cucumber to horseweed. The attraction rates of the egg-plant and cucumber to B. tabaci adults were 82.3% and 82.5% respectively, compared to that of tomato. Because egg-plants are easier to manage compared to cucumber, we excluded cucumber from subsequent experiment. The attraction rate of egg-plant to B. tabaci adults was >90% when the height of egg-plant was equal or more than that of the tomato plant.