Jean-Claude Onillon, André Pane & Mohamed Belkhadi. -Aleyrodes elevatus Silvestri new to Tunisia (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae)

Aleyrodes elevatus Silvestri is a Mediterranean species of whiteflies reported from South France (Corsica Island, Languedoc, Provence, Roussillon), Israel, Italy, Sicily, Rhodes Island, Spain, Turkey and under the near-Mediterranean climate of some inland valleys of Georgia. The fig tree, Ficus carica, is its main host. It oviposits on the underside of leaves where nymphal stages establish. Adults emerge from puparia (the last nymphal stage). In the growing conditions of Provence, two summer generations are developing under the fig leaves. As leaves are yellowing in fall, newly emerging adults migrate in the vicinity of fig trees on Mercurialis annua (Euphor -biaceae ) or on Parietaria officinalis (Urticaceae ). It is the third and the last annual generation of A. elevatus which overwinters at nymphal stages.

This Whitefly is probably widespread in the Mediterranean countries, particularly in North Africa where it was unreported. Puparia under leaves of F. carica were collected by one of the authors (J.-C. O.) in Tunisia : Govemorate of Kebili, Oasis of Bazma, 2.VI.2000. In Tunisian oases M. annua is a weed which generally occurs near the cultivated plots under date palm cover, allowing the whitefly to overwinter. Number of generations a year remains unknown at Bazma and it certainly is more than three.

(J.-C. O. & A. P. : Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre de Sophia-Antipolis, UMR "Réponse des Organismes aux Stress Environnementaux", 400 route des Chappes, F -06903 Sophia-Antipolis cedex <jconil@antibes.inra.fr> <apanis@tele2.fr> ;

M. B. : Institut des Régions Arides, Kebili 4200 Tunisie <Mohamedsadok.Belkhadi @ ira. rnrt. tn>