Host Plants-associated Population Variations of Bemisia Tabaci (genn.) (hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) Characterized with Random Dna Markers

Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci is an important sucking pest of field, horticultural and ornamental plants causing feeding injuries besides spreading disease by acting as a vector of Gemini viruses. The polyphagous nature of the pest makes it as a highly complex species. The influence of six host plants utilized by the species on the population differences at molecular level was attempted using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Seven RAPD primers screened produced 232 DNA fragments 223 of these fragments were polymorphic. While the other nine fragments detected as common among the six tested populations. Total number of bands obtained from each primer ranged from 2344 with an average of 33.14 bands per primer. Phylogenetic relationships among the studied populations using this technique clearly separated these six populations into two main clusters with similarity matrix percentage of 88% and 64%. These results indicated that B. tabaci may have different genotypes on adaptations to certain host plant species in Egypt.