Host Plant Affects Symbiont Abundance in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract

Symbionts contribute nutrients that allow insects to feed on plants. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) is a polyphagous pest that depends on symbionts to provide key nutrients that are deficient in the diet. Here, we established three whitefly populations on eggplants, cucumbers, and tomatoes and observed that they harbored the same symbiont taxa in different quantities. The amount of the primary symbiont, Portiera, decreased with increasing concentrations of host-plant essential amino acids (EAAs). Whitefly populations transferred to different plant species exhibited fluctuations in Portiera amounts in the first three or four generations; the amount of Portiera increased when whitefly populations were transferred to plant species with lower EAAs proportions. As for the secondary symbionts, the whitefly population of eggplants exhibited lower quantities of Hamiltonella and higher quantities of Rickettsia than the other two populations. The changes of both symbionts’ abundance in whitefly populations after host-plant-shifting for one generation showed little correlation with the EAAs’ proportions of host plants. These findings suggest that host-plant nitrogen nutrition, mainly in the form of EAAs, influences the abundance of symbionts, especially Portiera, to meet the nutritional demands of whiteflies. The results will inform efforts to control pests through manipulating symbionts in insect–symbiont associations.

Cytotype Affects the Capability of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED Species To Feed and Oviposit on an Unfavorable Host Plant

“…In whiteflies reared on hibiscus and tobacco, the most represented amino acids were Gln, Ala, and Pro (NEAAs) and Arg (EAA). Similar observations have been reported in MED individuals reared on tomato and poinsettia ( 62 , 63 ) and in the close relative species, MEAM1, on cotton, cucumber, eggplant, and tomato ( 63 – 65 ), which are also considered favorable hosts for MED and MEAM1 species ( 43 , 66 – 68 ). In whiteflies reared on lantana, five EAAs (Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, and Phe) and one NEAA (Glu) were more represented than in whiteflies reared on the two other plants.…”

“…A decrease of EAAs abundance in plants has been associated with an increase of “ Ca. Portiera” relative amount ( 65 ), possibly to meet the host metabolic demand. In our study, both P- and S-symbionts densities were higher on lantana.…”

Detection of Yeast-like Symbionts in Brown Planthopper Reared on Different Resistant Rice Varieties Combining DGGE and Absolute Quantitative Real-Time PCR

“…After the third generation, the BPH gradually adapted to resistant plants as the number of YLS increased. Similarly, in previous studies on Bemisia tabaci, it was found that the number of symbionts in Bemisia tabaci populations from different plants fluctuated significantly before the third or fourth generation, after inoculation on different plants, and there was no significant change after that [42]. It can be seen that there seems to be a relationship between the variation of YLS and resistant rice varieties.…”

Similar Gut Bacterial Microbiota in Two Fruit-Feeding Moth Pests Collected from Different Host Species and Locations

“…The tannins are endogenous inhibitors of the growth of numerous species of pests by negatively effecting the metabolism of insects [64]. Sap sucking pests such as whiteflies and aphids make use of symbionts for their essential amino acids [65,66]. Symbiotic essential amino acids provisioning or supplementation has also been found in the American cockroach and Cerambycid [67,68].…”