engleski

Composition and localization of bacterial symbionts in whitefly species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the South-East Europe

Whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) and Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) are phloem-feeding pests that cause serious problems in numerous agricultural crops. The world’s two most widespread members of the B. tabaci species complex are the Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED). MEAM1 and MED became global invaders and the most damaging, due to the ornamental plants trade. All whitefly species harbour a primary bacterial symbiont and a diverse array of secondary symbionts (SS) which may influence several aspects of the insect’s biology. Molecular markers were used in order to determine the species of B. tabaci and to test the presence of SS, while the fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to determine the localization of the SS within the insect. Both the MEAM1 and MED B. tabaci species were detected in Montenegro, whereas only the MED species was confirmed in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. T. vaporariorum was found to be the predominant species across surveyed areas, while S. phillyreae appeared sporadically in the pomegranate growing region. Multiple infections with SS were common in all three whitefly species, however, not all populations harboured all of the tested SS, whereas some of SS showed 100% infection rate in some populations. All SS tested were localized inside the bacteriocyte in all whitefly species, but only Rickettsia, Cardinium and Hamiltonella showed additional localization outside the bacteriocyte. Infections with the same symbionts in reproductively isolated whitefly species confirm complex relationships between whiteflies and bacterial symbionts, and suggest possible horizontal transfer of some of these bacteria.

Bemisia tabaci; Trialeurodes vaporariorum; Siphoninus phillyreae; bacterial symbionts; FISH

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