Banded-winged whitefly (Trialeurodes abutilonia) affects which of the following crops?

• A. Tomato
• B. Alfalfa
• C. Cotton
• D. Wheat

Answer: (A)

Banded-winged whitefly is a sap-sucking pest that shows a preference for dicot crops, especially tomato. On tomato plants, the insects feed on the underside of leaves, injecting saliva and removing phloem sap. This feeding weakens the plant, and the insects produce honeydew, which can lead to sooty mold that further reduces photosynthesis and fruit yield. Tomato plants, being a common solanaceous host grown in warm conditions and often in greenhouses or protected areas, provide ideal habitat and food for this whitefly, allowing rapid reproduction.

Alfalfa and wheat are grasses and are not typical hosts for this banded-winged whitefly, and cotton is not as strongly associated with this particular species as tomato is. So, among the listed crops, tomato is the crop most affected by this whitefly.