Ovipositional host choice by an invader accelerates displacement of its indigenous competitor

Phylo-geographic analysis of whitefly on the basis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 gene

Abstract Bemisia tabaci is a species complex that causes damage to its broad range of plant hosts through serious feeding. It transmits plant viruses of different groups to important agricultural crops. Some important cash crops of Pakistan are sugar cane, rice, tobacco and seed oil. It shows high genetic variability and is differentiated as races or biotypes. Biotypes are, biotype Q, biotype B, biotype B2, biotype M, biotype L, biotype A, biotype H, biotype C, biotype K, biotype N, biotype R, biotype E, biotype P, biotype J, biotype S, biotype AN. Although the current report based on the Bayesian study of mitochondrial cytohrome oxidase gene1 (CO1) DNA sequences has classified the different populations of whiteflies into twelve genetic groups which are Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa silverleafing, Indian Ocean, Asia II, Asia I, Australia, New World, Italy, China, Sub-Saharan Africa non-silverleafing, Mediterranean/Asia Minor/Africa and Uganda sweet potato. Begomoviruses is largest group of viruses transmitted by B. tabaci and cause major diseases of crops such as tomato and chili leaf curl disease, cassava mosaic disease; yellow mosaic disease of legumes and cotton leaf curl disease. The main objective of current study is to inculpate knowledge regarding genetic diversity of whitefly in cotton fields across Pakistan via analysis of partial DNA sequence of mitochondrial gene Cytochrom Oxidase I (mtCO1).

Competitive Displacement between Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 and MED and Evidence for Multiple Invasions of MED

Despite the severe ecological damage and economic loss caused by invasive species, the factors contributing to successful invasion or displacement remain elusive. The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), is an important invasive agricultural pest worldwide, causing severe damage to numerous crops by feeding or transmitting plant viruses. In this study, we monitored the dynamics of two invasive whitefly cryptic species, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED), in Jiangsu, China, from 2005-2016. We found that B. tabaci MED quickly established and asserted dominance over MEAM1, resulting in their population displacement in Jiangsu in only three years (from 2005 to 2008). We further investigated the possible mechanisms underlying the successful invasion and competitive displacement from a genetic perspective. Based on sequencing of mitochondrial gene sequences from large numbers of whitefly samples, multiple invasion events of MED were validated by our genetic analyses. MED invaded Jiangsu starting from multiple introduction sites with secondary and/or subsequent invasive events. This may favor their invasion and displacement of MEAM1. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms that enabled the successful invasion of MED.

Species-complex diversification and host-plant associations in Bemisia tabaci: A plant-defence, detoxification perspective revealed by RNA-Seq analyses

Insect–plant associations and their role in diversification are mostly studied in specialists. Here, we aimed to identify macroevolution patterns in the relationships between generalists and their host plants that have the potential to promote diversification. We focused on the Bemisia tabaci species complex containing more than 35 cryptic species. Mechanisms for explaining this impressive diversification have focused so far on allopatric forces that assume a common, broad, host range. We conducted a literature survey which indicated that species in the complex differ in their host range, with only few showing a truly broad one. We then selected six species, representing different phylogenetic groups and documented host ranges. We tested whether differences in the species expression profiles of detoxification genes are shaped more by their phylogenetic relationships or by their ability to successfully utilize multiple hosts, including novel ones. Performance assays divided the six species into two groups of three, one showing higher performance on various hosts than the other (the lower performance group). The same grouping pattern appeared when the species were clustered according to their expression profiles. Only species placed in the lower performance group showed a tendency to lower the expression of multiple genes. Taken together, these findings bring evidence for the existence of a common detoxification “machinery,” shared between species that can perform well on multiple hosts. We raise the possibility that this “machinery” might have played a passive role in the diversification of the complex, by allowing successful migration to new/novel environments, leading, in some cases, to fragmentation and speciation.

Emerging Themes in Our Understanding of Species Displacements

The displacement of a species from a habitat by actions of another is the most severe outcome of interspecific interactions. This review focuses on recent developments in the understanding of (a) ecological mechanisms that lead to displacements, (b) how outcomes of interspecific interactions are affected by the context of where and when they occur, and (c) impacts of displacements. Displacements are likely to escalate as their primary initiating factors-the spread of non-native species and environmental change-continue at unprecedented rates. Displacements typically result from interactions of multiple mechanisms, not all of which involve direct competition. Various biotic and abiotic factors mediate these mechanisms, so variable outcomes occur when the same species interact in different environments. Though replacement of one species by another has particular relevance to pest management and conservation biology, the cascading effects that displacements have in managed and natural systems are critical to understand.

Feeding experience of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) affects their performance on different host plants

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci biotype B is extremely polyphagous with >600 species of host plants. We hypothesized that previous experience of the whitefly on a given host plant affects their host selection and performance on the plants without previous experience. We investigated the host selection for feeding and oviposition of adults and development and survival of immatures of three host-plant-experienced populations of B. tabaci, namely Bemisia-eggplant, Bemisia-tomato and Bemisia-cucumber, on their experienced host plant and each of the three other plant species (eggplant, tomato, cucumber and pepper) without previous experience. We found that the influence of previous experience of the whiteflies varied among the populations. All populations refused pepper for feeding and oviposition, whereas the Bemisia-cucumber and the Bemisia-eggplant strongly preferred cucumber. Bemisia-tomato did not show strong preference to any of the three host palnts. Development time from egg to adult eclosion varied among the populations, being shortest on eggplant, longest on pepper, and intermediate on tomato and cucumber except for the Bemisia-cucumber developed similarly on tomato and pepper. The survivorship from egg to adult eclosion of all populations was highest on eggplant (80-98%), lowest on pepper (0-20%), and intermediate on tomato and cucumber. In conclusion, the effects of previous experience of whiteflies on host selection for feeding and oviposition, development, and survivorship varied depending on host plants, and host plants play a stronger role than previous experience. Preference of feeding and oviposition by adults may not accurately reflect host suitability of immatures. These results provided important information for understanding whitefly population dynamics and dispersal among different crop systems.

Roles of mating behavioural interactions and life history traits in the competition between alien and indigenous whiteflies

Interference competition between closely related alien and indigenous species often influences the outcome of biological invasions. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci species complex contains ≥28 putative species and two of them, Mediterranean (MED, formally referred to as the 'Q biotype') and Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1, formally referred to as the 'B biotype'), have recently spread to much of the world. In many invaded regions, these species have displaced closely related indigenous whitefly species. In this study, we integrated laboratory population experiments, behavioural observations and simulation modelling to investigate the capacity of MED to displace Asia II 1 (AII1, formally referred to as the 'ZHJ2 biotype'), an indigenous whitefly widely distributed in Asia. Our results show that intensive mating interactions occur between MED and AII1, leading to reduced fecundity and progeny female ratio in AII1, as well as an increase in progeny female ratio in MED. In turn, our population cage experiments demonstrated that MED has the capacity to displace AII1 in a few generations. Using simulation models, we then show that both asymmetric mating interactions and differences in life history traits between the two species contribute substantially to the process of displacement. These findings would help explain the displacement of AII1 by MED in the field and, together with earlier studies on mating interactions between other species of the B. tabaci complex, indicate the widespread significance of asymmetric mating interactions in whitefly species exclusions.

Influence of plant combinations on population characteristics of Bemisia tabaci biotypes B and Q

In recent years, the dominant biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has shifted from biotype B to Q in many locations of China. Our field monitoring showed that B. tabaci biotype Q could be found on pepper Capsicum frutescens L. while biotype B could not be found on the plant. To study the role of the host plant in the displacement of biotype B by Q, the adult mortality, female fecundity, and adult emergence of both biotypes B and Q on different host combinations were studied using a model system involving pepper and eggplant. The results showed that pepper is not a preferred host for either biotype B or Q adults in comparison with eggplant. The negative impact of pepper to biotype B is, however, much greater than that to biotype Q. Because both the survival rates of the adult whitefly and the average number of emerged adults per female of biotype Q on pepper are higher than that of biotype B, biotype Q showed higher fitness in comparison with biotype B. Our results suggest that the existence and differential impact of a nonpreferred host might affect the population fitness and therefore could play a role in the displacement of biotype B in some regions.

Further spread of and domination by Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype Q on field crops in China

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), causes severe crop losses to many crops. The worst of these losses are often associated with the invasion and establishment of biotypes B and Q of this pest. Previous research in 2007 showed that biotype Q occurred with other biotypes in most field populations in China. To determine the current status of the biotype composition in the field, an extensive survey covering mainly eastern parts of China was conducted in 2009. Using polymerase chain reaction primers specific for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I of biotypes B and Q and gene sequencing, we determined the biotypes composition in 61 whitefly populations and their distribution across 19 provinces in China. Our research revealed that only biotypes B and Q have been found in the field in 2009 in China. Among them, biotype Q was dominant in 44 locations (100.0%) and biotype B was dominant in 17 locations (100.0%). The current survey indicates that biotype Q has rapidly displaced biotype B in most locations in China.