Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone

Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson; Alusaine Edward Samura; Mohamed Allieu Bah; Ivan Cruz; Daniel Obeng-Ofori; Paul Musa Lahai; Prince Emmanuel Norman

doi:doi:10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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| Peer-Reviewed

Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone

Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson^*

, Alusaine Edward Samura

, Mohamed Allieu Bah

, Ivan Cruz

, Daniel Obeng-Ofori

, Paul Musa Lahai

, Prince Emmanuel Norman

Published in American Journal of Entomology (Volume 10, Issue 1)

Received: 11 December 2025 Accepted: 25 December 2025 Published: 19 January 2026

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Abstract

Bemisia tabaci is a major pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, causing yield losses through direct feeding and its role in transmitting cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Natural enemies such as lacewings, ladybird beetles, and spiders provide valuable biological control services, yet their interactions with different whitefly developmental stages and plant structural traits remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the dynamics among natural enemies, whitefly eggs, nymphs, adults, and plant height across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP) under field conditions. The trial was conducted under natural cassava production conditions during 2020/2021 cropping season at the upland experimental site of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University. A total of 270 cassava genotypes comprising 268 local varieties and 2 improved checks (SLICASS 4 and SLICASS 6) were laid out in an augmented randomized design with four blocks. Results showed that lacewings and spiders strongly tracked nymph and adult whitefly populations, while ladybird beetles showed weaker associations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed alignment of predators with pest pressure during mid- and late season, whereas plant height exhibited minimal influence. Findings underscore the central role of lacewings and spiders in early and sustained suppression of whitefly populations, highlighting the importance of conservation-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Findings serve as useful guide for conservation biological control as a primary IPM strategy for the enhancement of habitats for effective predators (lacewings and spiders) of the whitefly through reduced pesticide use, ground vegetation retention, intercropping, and maintenance of natural refuge habitats.

Published in	American Journal of Entomology (Volume 10, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
Page(s)	1-15
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Natural Enemies, Whitefly Developmental Stages, Cassava Mosaic Disease, Prevalence, Correlation, Cassava

References

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APA Style

Johnson, R. A. B., Samura, A. E., Bah, M. A., Cruz, I., Obeng-Ofori, D., et al. (2026). Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. American Journal of Entomology, 10(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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ACS Style

Johnson, R. A. B.; Samura, A. E.; Bah, M. A.; Cruz, I.; Obeng-Ofori, D., et al. Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. Am. J. Entomol. 2026, 10(1), 1-15. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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AMA Style

Johnson RAB, Samura AE, Bah MA, Cruz I, Obeng-Ofori D, et al. Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. Am J Entomol. 2026;10(1):1-15. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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@article{10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11,
  author = {Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson and Alusaine Edward Samura and Mohamed Allieu Bah and Ivan Cruz and Daniel Obeng-Ofori and Paul Musa Lahai and Prince Emmanuel Norman},
  title = {Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone},
  journal = {American Journal of Entomology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-15},
  doi = {10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.aje.20261001.11},
  abstract = {Bemisia tabaci is a major pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, causing yield losses through direct feeding and its role in transmitting cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Natural enemies such as lacewings, ladybird beetles, and spiders provide valuable biological control services, yet their interactions with different whitefly developmental stages and plant structural traits remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the dynamics among natural enemies, whitefly eggs, nymphs, adults, and plant height across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP) under field conditions. The trial was conducted under natural cassava production conditions during 2020/2021 cropping season at the upland experimental site of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University. A total of 270 cassava genotypes comprising 268 local varieties and 2 improved checks (SLICASS 4 and SLICASS 6) were laid out in an augmented randomized design with four blocks. Results showed that lacewings and spiders strongly tracked nymph and adult whitefly populations, while ladybird beetles showed weaker associations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed alignment of predators with pest pressure during mid- and late season, whereas plant height exhibited minimal influence. Findings underscore the central role of lacewings and spiders in early and sustained suppression of whitefly populations, highlighting the importance of conservation-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Findings serve as useful guide for conservation biological control as a primary IPM strategy for the enhancement of habitats for effective predators (lacewings and spiders) of the whitefly through reduced pesticide use, ground vegetation retention, intercropping, and maintenance of natural refuge habitats.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone
AU  - Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson
AU  - Alusaine Edward Samura
AU  - Mohamed Allieu Bah
AU  - Ivan Cruz
AU  - Daniel Obeng-Ofori
AU  - Paul Musa Lahai
AU  - Prince Emmanuel Norman
Y1  - 2026/01/19
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
T2  - American Journal of Entomology
JF  - American Journal of Entomology
JO  - American Journal of Entomology
SP  - 1
EP  - 15
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-0537
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
AB  - Bemisia tabaci is a major pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, causing yield losses through direct feeding and its role in transmitting cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Natural enemies such as lacewings, ladybird beetles, and spiders provide valuable biological control services, yet their interactions with different whitefly developmental stages and plant structural traits remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the dynamics among natural enemies, whitefly eggs, nymphs, adults, and plant height across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP) under field conditions. The trial was conducted under natural cassava production conditions during 2020/2021 cropping season at the upland experimental site of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University. A total of 270 cassava genotypes comprising 268 local varieties and 2 improved checks (SLICASS 4 and SLICASS 6) were laid out in an augmented randomized design with four blocks. Results showed that lacewings and spiders strongly tracked nymph and adult whitefly populations, while ladybird beetles showed weaker associations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed alignment of predators with pest pressure during mid- and late season, whereas plant height exhibited minimal influence. Findings underscore the central role of lacewings and spiders in early and sustained suppression of whitefly populations, highlighting the importance of conservation-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Findings serve as useful guide for conservation biological control as a primary IPM strategy for the enhancement of habitats for effective predators (lacewings and spiders) of the whitefly through reduced pesticide use, ground vegetation retention, intercropping, and maintenance of natural refuge habitats.
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson

Department of Crop Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba, Sierra Leone

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5666-8398
Alusaine Edward Samura

Department of Crop Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba, Sierra Leone

http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2390-1538
Mohamed Allieu Bah

Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba, Sierra Leone

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-3867-3272
Ivan Cruz

Department of Entomology, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Sete Lagoas, Brazil

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4505-323X
Daniel Obeng-Ofori

Department of Conservation Biology, Catholic University of Ghana, Sunyani, Ghana

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7996-2194
Paul Musa Lahai

Department of Forestry and Tree Crops Improvement Program, Kenema Forestry and Tree Crops Research Centre, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute, Kenema, Sierra Leone

http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2520-6762
Prince Emmanuel Norman

Department of Germplasm Enhancement and Seeds Systems, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute, Freetown, Sierra Leone

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0150-8610

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APA Style

Johnson, R. A. B., Samura, A. E., Bah, M. A., Cruz, I., Obeng-Ofori, D., et al. (2026). Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. American Journal of Entomology, 10(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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ACS Style

Johnson, R. A. B.; Samura, A. E.; Bah, M. A.; Cruz, I.; Obeng-Ofori, D., et al. Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. Am. J. Entomol. 2026, 10(1), 1-15. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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AMA Style

Johnson RAB, Samura AE, Bah MA, Cruz I, Obeng-Ofori D, et al. Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone. Am J Entomol. 2026;10(1):1-15. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11

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@article{10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11,
  author = {Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson and Alusaine Edward Samura and Mohamed Allieu Bah and Ivan Cruz and Daniel Obeng-Ofori and Paul Musa Lahai and Prince Emmanuel Norman},
  title = {Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone},
  journal = {American Journal of Entomology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-15},
  doi = {10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.aje.20261001.11},
  abstract = {Bemisia tabaci is a major pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, causing yield losses through direct feeding and its role in transmitting cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Natural enemies such as lacewings, ladybird beetles, and spiders provide valuable biological control services, yet their interactions with different whitefly developmental stages and plant structural traits remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the dynamics among natural enemies, whitefly eggs, nymphs, adults, and plant height across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP) under field conditions. The trial was conducted under natural cassava production conditions during 2020/2021 cropping season at the upland experimental site of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University. A total of 270 cassava genotypes comprising 268 local varieties and 2 improved checks (SLICASS 4 and SLICASS 6) were laid out in an augmented randomized design with four blocks. Results showed that lacewings and spiders strongly tracked nymph and adult whitefly populations, while ladybird beetles showed weaker associations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed alignment of predators with pest pressure during mid- and late season, whereas plant height exhibited minimal influence. Findings underscore the central role of lacewings and spiders in early and sustained suppression of whitefly populations, highlighting the importance of conservation-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Findings serve as useful guide for conservation biological control as a primary IPM strategy for the enhancement of habitats for effective predators (lacewings and spiders) of the whitefly through reduced pesticide use, ground vegetation retention, intercropping, and maintenance of natural refuge habitats.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Whitefly–Natural Enemy Dynamics and Cassava Mosaic Disease Evaluated Under Field Condition in Sierra Leone
AU  - Raymonda Adeline Bernardette Johnson
AU  - Alusaine Edward Samura
AU  - Mohamed Allieu Bah
AU  - Ivan Cruz
AU  - Daniel Obeng-Ofori
AU  - Paul Musa Lahai
AU  - Prince Emmanuel Norman
Y1  - 2026/01/19
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
T2  - American Journal of Entomology
JF  - American Journal of Entomology
JO  - American Journal of Entomology
SP  - 1
EP  - 15
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-0537
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aje.20261001.11
AB  - Bemisia tabaci is a major pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, causing yield losses through direct feeding and its role in transmitting cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Natural enemies such as lacewings, ladybird beetles, and spiders provide valuable biological control services, yet their interactions with different whitefly developmental stages and plant structural traits remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the dynamics among natural enemies, whitefly eggs, nymphs, adults, and plant height across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP) under field conditions. The trial was conducted under natural cassava production conditions during 2020/2021 cropping season at the upland experimental site of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University. A total of 270 cassava genotypes comprising 268 local varieties and 2 improved checks (SLICASS 4 and SLICASS 6) were laid out in an augmented randomized design with four blocks. Results showed that lacewings and spiders strongly tracked nymph and adult whitefly populations, while ladybird beetles showed weaker associations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed alignment of predators with pest pressure during mid- and late season, whereas plant height exhibited minimal influence. Findings underscore the central role of lacewings and spiders in early and sustained suppression of whitefly populations, highlighting the importance of conservation-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Findings serve as useful guide for conservation biological control as a primary IPM strategy for the enhancement of habitats for effective predators (lacewings and spiders) of the whitefly through reduced pesticide use, ground vegetation retention, intercropping, and maintenance of natural refuge habitats.
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
ER  -

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