Life history parameters of Bemisia tabaci MED (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the present and future climate of central Europe, predicted by physically realistic climatic chamber simulation

Abstract

Whiteflies of the Bemisia tabaci species complex are among the most damaging insect pests in agriculture worldwide, causing damage by feeding on crop plants and by vectoring plant viruses. The species complex consists of over 35 cryptic species that differ in many aspects of their biology including the optimal environment, geographic distribution, and host range. Global warming and associated climate change resulting from human activities is expected to contribute to biological invasions. Bemisia tabaci species show fast adaptability to changes in agroecosystems and have a long record of biological invasions. Climate change driven increase in B. tabaci importance in agricultural systems of Europe has been predicted, but so far not experimentally tested. The present study evaluates the development of B. tabaci MED (=Mediterranean) in a climatic chamber simulation of the future climate in Luxembourg, chosen as a representative region for the Central Europe. Future climate predictions for the period 2061–2070 were derived from a multimodel ensemble of physically consistent regional climatic models. Results show a 40% shorter development time of this important pest in future climatic conditions, with an increase in fecundity by a third, and insignificant difference in mortality. Accelerated development, combined with its already established year-round presence in European greenhouses and predicted northward expansion of outdoor tomato production in Europe, means faster population build-up at the beginning of the outdoor cropping season with the potential of reaching economic importance. Benefits of simulating hourly diurnal cycle of physically consistent meteorological variables versus previous experiments are discussed.

Longevity of the whitefly parasitoid Eretmocerus eremicus under two different climate scenarios

“…The temporal limitation caused by the warmer climate may affect the capacity of controlling whiteflies in the future. Additionally, the development of the whitefly host will be shortened (Milenovic et al, 2023), resulting in faster population growth and a shorter release window for the parasitoid. This may require more frequent releases, increasing agricultural production cost.…”

“…Two Bronson Incrementum 1400 and 1500 climatic chambers (Bronson Climate BV, The Netherlands) were used to simulate the present and the projected mid-term future (2061-2070) climate of Luxembourg, under RCP 8.5 (Supplementary Material S1), as described by Milenovic et al (2023). Briefly, the climatic chambers were equipped with Valoya NS12 luminaries, set to deliver 480 µmol/m 2 s photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at 20 cm distance constantly during 12 daylight hours.…”

“…Predictions of insect development in the future are based on experiments under constant conditions, but in nature environmental factors vary. A recent study used a climate chamber simulation to show that climate change will shorten the development time of the whitefly B. tabaci by almost half, potentially leading to faster population growth in the spring (Milenovic et al, 2023). Fitness parameters of its parasitoids are also directly influenced by abiotic factors (Zandi-Sohani & Shishehbor, 2011;Asplen et al, 2009;Qiu et al, 2006;McCutcheon & Simmons, 2001).…”

Climate Change and Insects

“…Pathogen-transmitting insects like aphids or whiteflies are, next to herbivores, the focus of many research activities worldwide [ 15 ].Wang et al [ 14 ] investigated the effect of CC on the potential distribution of the pest Franklinella occidentalis (Thysanoptera) in China. Their results indicated that highly suitable areas for this pest will be widely distributed in 19 provinces of China.…”

“…This study clearly underlines that CC impact studies have to include different future timespans to identify significant effects on insects' lifecycles in a changing environment, potentially leading to changes in their spatio-temporal dynamics. Therefore, adaptation of monitoring as well as developing interventions to manage pests will be necessary in realize practical farming to secure food production Pathogen-transmitting insects like aphids or whiteflies are, next to herbivores, the focus of many research activities worldwide [15].Wang et al [14] investigated the effect of CC on the potential distribution of the pest Franklinella occidentalis (Thysanoptera) in China. Their results indicated that highly suitable areas for this pest will be widely distributed in 19 provinces of China.…”