In China, two invasive pests, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 (Gennadius) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), often co-occur with the native pest, Aphis gossypii (Glover), on plants of Malvaceae and Cucurbitaceae. All three are preyed on by the native ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas); however, the native predator might be expected to prefer native prey to the exotic ones due to a shared evoluti...

Whiteßies, heteropterans in the family Aleyrodidae, are globally distributed and severe agricultural pests. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (mtCOI) sequence has been used extensively in whiteßy phylogenetic comparisons and in biotype identiÞcation of the agriculturally important Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) whiteßy. Because of the economic importance of several whiteßygenera, and the inv...

In addition to constitutive plant resistance against pests or pathogens, plants can activate protective mechanisms upon contact with an invader or a chemical elicitor. Studies on induced plant resistance to herbivores, especially piercing-sucking insects, are less abundant than those devoted to pathogens. Several experiments under controlled conditions have been conducted to demonstrate that in...

Bemisia tabaci (G.) is an important pest and a vector of Gemini viruses infecting plants. During the process of feeding B. tabaci excretes honeydew which is rich in nutrients, and an excellent medium for microbial growth. Recent report proved that volatile emitted by the honeydew associated bacteria of aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris was involved in natural enemy calling. Thus understanding t...

We determined effects of aerial sprays of the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen on sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (B biotype), in Arizona cotton (Gossypium spp.) fields. We measured survival for males and females from a susceptible strain and a laboratory-selected resistant strain, as well as for hybrid female progeny from crosses between the strains. Insects were exposed d...

The relationships between leaf trichomedensities, leaf age, and sweetpotatowhiteßy, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B, infestations of 13 upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., cultivars were investigated in 1990 and 2000. Stoneville 474 supported higher numbers of B. tabaci biotype B eggs, nymphs and adults, and also had higher numbers of stellate trichomes on abaxial leaf surfaces compared ...

BACKGROUND Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a phloem-feeding insect poised to become one of the major insect pests in open field and greenhouse production systems throughout the world. The high level of resistance to insecticides is a main factor that hinders continued use of insecticides for suppression of B. tabaci. Despite its prevalence, little is known about B. tabaci at the genome level. To ...

In this study, we investigated the tritrophic interactions among a persistently transmitted plant virus, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), its insect vector, the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and a parasitoid, Encarsia formosa Gahan, one of the most extensively used biological control agents. As an emerging invasive pest worldwide, the two most damaging whiteflies are B. tabaci B an...

BACKGROUND Bemisia tabaci, a polyphagous insect with over 900 host plants, is an effective vector of more than 100 plant viruses. Being highly fecund, B. tabaci has the potential to develop insecticide resistance rapidly, as demonstrated by reports of use failures with MEAM1 and MED cryptic species (commonly known as biotypes B and Q respectively). Insecticide resistance management is a key com...

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are believed to play a key role in the chemosensory process in insects. Sequencing genomic DNA and RNA encoding CSP1, CSP2 and CSP3 in the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci showed strong variation between B and Q biotypes. Analyzing CSP-RNA levels showed not only biotype, but also age and developmental stage-specific expression. Interestingly, applying neonicotin...