Abstract
A description is provided for Aschersonia aleyrodis. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Scale insects (Coccidae) and whitefly (Aleyrodidae). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Jamaica, Santo Domingo, Solomon Islands, USA. According to Mains (1959) A. aleyrodis is very common in the Western hemisphere whereas A. placenta is common in the Eastern hemisphere. DISEASE: When the genus Aschersonia Montagne was described in 1848 the species were regarded as parasites of the leaves of the plants on which the insect hosts were located and it was only in 1894 that Webber recognized A. aleyrodis as entomogenous. Early work and the relationship with the ascomycete genus Hypocrella is extensively treated and illustrated in colour by Petch (1921). Sutton (1980) states that approximately 50 taxa have been described in the genus which is wholly entomogenous. Infection is mainly of young larvae, but mature larvae and pupae are also attacked. Larvae in the early stages of infection become swollen and by the time that hyphae emerge around the edge of the infected host the latter is already dead.