Opportunities and challenges in predicting local migration dynamicsof cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella – a preliminary evaluation

Abstract: From the early 2000s onwards, the cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella hasbecome a serious problem in the production of brassica vegetables throughout Germany. Theincrease in rapeseed production area offers attractive hibernation habitats and can therefore beconsidered as one possible reason for the growing relevance of A. proletella as pest insect.Detailed knowledge on the regional migration behavior of the cabbage whitefly is ofparticular importance for the development of prediction models and the successfulimplementation of plant protection strategies. In order to investigate the temporal migrationdynamics, a quantitative monitoring of A. proletella was carried out in four conventionalrapeseed fields located in North-Eastern Germany from April to October 2014. Populationdevelopment and flight activity were assessed during the entire growing season. The studyrevealed that whitefly migration is characterised by a seasonal pattern with distinct emigrationpeaks. Contrary to our initial assumption, whitefly migration was still ongoing after rapeseedharvest. Preliminary observations indicate that up-scaling local data from individual fields tolandscape level as well as field management after rapeseed harvest are key uncertainties inforecasting whitefly migration into brassica vegetable crops.