Intra- and interspecific competition between biotypes B and Q of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from Spain

Abstract

Biotypes B and Q of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), collected from the islands of Tenerife and Majorca respectively, were exposed to competition conditions on tomato cv. Marmande in the laboratory. Both biotypes were established in single and mixed cultures at different densities. Increased mortality of biotype Q females and immature instars was observed together with a lower rate of fecundity and progeny size compared to biotype B, when reared in single or mixed cultures. The female:male sex ratio of F1 individuals of biotype Q was higher in single than in mixed cultures. However, the sex ratio of F1 individuals of biotype B was the same in single and mixed cultures, suggesting reproductive interference. Whitefly density did not affect interspecific interactions. It had a moderate effect on developmental rate of both biotypes, and on mortality of immature instars and progeny size of biotype B only. The results indicate that under laboratory conditions the studied biotype B should displace biotype Q.

Genetic structure of the invasive pest Bemisia tabaci: evidence of limited but persistent genetic differentiation in glasshouse populations

“…Individuals belonging to group B were not detected elsewhere in southern France. The genetic groups B and Q were also detected in other Mediterranean countries but with various ratios and sometimes overlapping distribution areas as shown in Italy (Cavalieri et al, 2004;Parella et al, 2004), southern Spain (Pascual and Callejas, 2004), Canary Islands (Gobbi et al, 2003) and Morocco (Tahiri et al, 2006). The lack of any specific and distinct geographical pattern is consistent with the invasiveness of these groups and stands in contrast with the large geographic structuring detected with Asia-Pacific populations in their native region .…”

“…In experimental studies without insecticide pressure, group B was more competitive than group Q (Pascual and Callejas, 2004). However, the higher resistance to insecticides of group Q (Horowitz et al, 2005, Prabhaker et al, 2005 was inferred to have lead to the outdoor displacement of group B in Spain (Pascual, 2006).…”

Effect of tomato yellow leaf curl disease on reproduction of Bemisia tabaci Q biotype (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on tomato plants

“…The reproductive capacity of the B biotype of B. tabaci on tomato plants is higher than that of the Q biotype (Pascual and Callejas, 2004), and the Q biotype develops faster than the B biotype on sweet pepper (Muñiz and Nombela, 2001); however, little is known about the effect of TYLCV infection on the reproduction of its vector B. tabaci Q biotype on tomato plants.…”

Adaptation of acaricide stress facilitates Tetranychus urticae expanding against Tetranychus cinnabarinus in China

“…For example, the displacement of the B biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) by the Q biotype in many regions where they have both invaded, has been attributed to the greater insecticide resistance of the Q biotype (Chu, Wan, Zhang, & Brown, 2010; Guo et al., 2014). This difference allows the Q biotype to overcome the competitive advantage that the B biotype has in the absence of insecticide pressures (Elbaz et al., 2012; Pascual & Callejas, 2004). Similarly, Gao, Lei, Abe, and Reitz (2011), Gao et al.…”