Volatile-Mediated Attraction of Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum to Tomato and Eggplant

Abstract

The behavior of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is known to be affected by plant volatile cues, but its attraction or repellent to specific volatile cues has not been deeply studied yet. Therefore, the aim of our study was to identify the most attractive plant among cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) to evaluate the volatiles of plants to identify the chemical compound(s) that attract T. vaporariorum. We speculated that whitefly–host plant interaction primarily depends on plant volatile emissions and that once the plant is damaged, it might attract more whiteflies. Three intact (uninfested) tomato, four intact eggplant cultivars and whitefly infested plants of the most whitefly attractive tomato and eggplant cultivars were examined by behavioral assay experiments for attractiveness to T. vaporariorum and headspace volatile were determined by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Whiteflies had the highest preference for the intact eggplant Kuai Yuan Qie (KYQ) among the eggplant and the tomato plant cultivars in bioassay experiments. Although both male and female whiteflies were significantly more attracted to infested KYQ plants than to intact plants, whitefly females did not select conspecific-infested YG plants. The volatile emissions among different plant cultivars in individual species and infested versus intact plants were significantly different. Among these volatiles, identified major green leaf volatiles [(Z)-3-hexen-1-ol] and terpenoids [α-pinene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, azulene] showed a constitutive relationship with the most whitefly preference plants. Our findings provide new insights into the chemical compounds that attract or repel whiteflies.

Behavioural response of green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) to volatiles from different rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) clones

“…This is consistent with several studies reporting that the repulsion (or attraction) of the aphid differs according to the VOC profile produced by different cultivars (Storer & van Emden, ; Wang et al , ; da Costa et al , ; Schröder et al , ). This evidence is also valid for other pests sensitive to the olfactory environment, such as thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in rosebushes (Gaum et al , ) and the whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in tomatoes or eggplants (Darshanee et al , ). In this sense, genetic variability should be taken into consideration when choosing companion plants and can comprise a potential lever for improving companion plant effectiveness.…”

Prospects for management of whitefly using plant semiochemicals, compared with related pests

“…Furthermore, it is important to include compounds that differ in their proportions because the ratio of compounds can be crucial . Principal component analysis of the volatile collections may be helpful to identify putative semiochemicals within a mixture . Various techniques for collecting plant volatiles are available, such as solvent extraction, steam distillation or air entrainment .…”

“…21,22 Principal component analysis of the volatile collections may be helpful to identify putative semiochemicals within a mixture. 4,23 Various techniques for collecting plant volatiles are available, such as solvent extraction, steam distillation or air entrainment. 5 The latter is preferred because headspace collections represent actual released quantities of naturally occurring compounds.…”

“…However, increasing numbers of studies have shown that whitefly behaviour is affected by plant‐emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In behavioural bioassays, whitefly preference varies between potential host plants and even among host plant varieties, cultivars and accessions . Furthermore, whiteflies can discriminate between different qualitative conditions in host plants, for example, differences in nitrogen fertilization, leaf position, aphid colonization and virus infection .…”

Compuestos orgánicos volátiles de plantas inducidos por insectos: situación actual en México

“…Otra modificación a la técnica de CG, es por microextracción en fase sólida acoplados con cromatografía de gases y espectrometría (MEFS-CGEM), Raffo et al (2018), mediante ésta técnica identificó los compuestos (Z) -y (E) -3-hexenal, (Z) -1,5-octadien-3-one, junto con 4mercaptobutilo y 4-(metiltio) butil isotiocianato en hojas de eruca Eruca sativa L. y Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. También Darshanee et al (2017), mediante esta técnica evaluaron plantas de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum L.) para determinar los compuestos químicos que atraen a mosca blanca de los invernaderos Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), identificando volátiles (Z) -3-hexen-1-ol, a-pineno, (E) -β-cariofileno, α-humuleno y azuleno. Por su parte, Souza et al (2017), mencionan que esta técnica podría abrir nuevas perspectivas y oportunidades en estudios agrícolas y ecológicos, para la detección e identificación de emisiones de compuestos orgánicos volátiles de las plantas inducidos por herbívoros.…”