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try. Yet, with the possible exception of the commercially available wasp Encarsia forrnosa Gahan, their ability to suppress B. tabaci populations under a variety of conditions has not been determined. Here we report our findings on Delphastus pusillus (LeConte), one of the several natural enemies we are evaluating for use in B. tabaci biologi-E cal control programs in field crops and greenhouse-grown poinsettias. I3 1: 7 Small, shiny beetle I Adult Delphastus pusillus feeding on a Bemisia tabaci nymph. A third instar immature D. pusillus. Adult D. pusillus are small, shiny black coccinellid beetles 1.3 to 1.4 mm in length; the larvae are pale yellowish white. This beetle, related to aphidfeeding ladybird beetles, has been reported as a predator of various whiteflies on citrus in Florida and Mexico and on cassava in Colombia, South widely across the central and southeastern United States, south through Central America and into South Predatory beetle may s u p p ress s i I ve r I eaf w h i tef I y America. D. pusillus is distributed