New Bemisia Tuberculata (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Rearing Method for Studies in Cassava

The aim of this study was to develop a rearing method for Bemisia tuberculata on cassava plants that enables the production and ongoing maintenance of a colony. The initial population of B. tuberculata was obtained from leaves collected from plants with high nymph infestations. Emerging adults were transferred from plastic cups to voile cages in different densities. The density of 125 adults of the B. tuberculata per leaf was the most suitable for rearing. The rearing method proposed in this study has proven to be effective and is recommended since it allows for population levels to remain stable during experiments.