Influence of Host Plants on Virus Acquisition and Endosymbionts of Whitefly Bemisia Tabaci (Gennadius)

Abstract

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is responsible for significant direct and indirect losses in potato. The present study evaluates the influence of host plants viz., potato and brinjal on its endosymbionts and virus acquisition abilities in vitro. Bemisia tabaci collected from Jalandhar and reared for 18 months were then tested for a primary and five facultative endosymbionts. The collected populations could acquire ToLCNDV-potato for 6, 12, 24 and 48 hr of acquisition access periods and tested for virus load using qPCR. A primary endosymbiont Portiera and two facultative endosymbionts Arsenophonus and Cardinium were detected from both the populations (Asia II 5). The populations were found to be similar except for slight change in frequencies of facultative endosymbionts. A significant difference was also observed in their ability to acquire the ToLCNDV-potato. This study revealed that host plants influence the virus acquisition behaviour of vectors despite no changes in their endosymbiont’s frequencies.