Bacterial Endosymbiont Diversity among Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Populations in Florida

Abstract

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a pest of many economically important agricultural crops and a vector of plant viruses. Bemisia tabaci harbors facultative endosymbiont species that have been implicated in pest status, including tolerance to insecticides, virus transmission efficiency and tolerance to high-temperatures. The facultative endosymbionts reported in B. tabaci include Arsenophonus, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Fritschea and Rickettsia. We collected whitefly populations from weed and crop hosts in south Florida and identified the whitefly species as well as the facultative endosymbionts present in these populations by molecular analysis. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis of whiteflies and their endosymbionts was performed. The only facultative endosymbionts found among the B. tabaci populations collected in Florida were Hamiltonella and Rickettsia. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the low genetic diversity of whiteflies and their endosymbionts. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree clustered Rickettsia from Florida in the R1 genetic group. The results will aid to understand the role of the bacterial endosymbionts in the whitefly host.

Gut Bacterial Diversity in Different Life Cycle Stages of Adelphocoris suturalis (Hemiptera: Miridae)

“…These bacteria and host insects have formed an interdependent relationship during the co-evolution process ( Gao et al, 2019 ). However, we have not found any endosymbionts in A. suturalis , although endosymbionts have been widely reported in other Hemipterans ( Campbell et al, 2018 ; Karimi et al, 2019 ; Rossitto De Marchi and Smith, 2020 ).…”

“…These bacteria and host insects have formed an interdependent relationship during the co-evolution process (Gao et al, 2019). However, we have not found any endosymbionts in A. suturalis, although endosymbionts have been widely reported in other Hemipterans (Campbell et al, 2018;Karimi et al, 2019;Rossitto De Marchi and Smith, 2020). Interestingly, it can be observed from the aspect of microbial diversity that the first and second instar microbial community diversity of newly hatched nymphs is the highest, and its unique OTU species are also abundant.…”

“…However, the vast majority of insect symbiotic bacteria are concentrated in the intestinal tract, which is rich in symbiotic bacterial communities ( Gupta and Nair, 2020 ). Similarly, although our study detected the microbial community of the entire insect body, intestinal microbes accounted for almost all of them ( Campbell et al, 2018 ; Karimi et al, 2019 ; Rossitto De Marchi and Smith, 2020 ). These bacteria and host insects have formed an interdependent relationship during the co-evolution process ( Gao et al, 2019 ).…”

Evidence of new strains of Wolbachia symbiont colonising semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera: Gerroidea) in mangrove environment of the Lesser Antilles

“…The Wolbachia bacterium has been proposed as a regulatory tool for Zika and/or dengue bearing mosquitoes [ 39 – 41 ]. Studies on the occurrence of Wolbachia in insect pests of crops mainly concern Diptera [ 25 , 26 ], Acari [ 24 , 42 ] and phytophagous Hemiptera [ 43 – 48 ]. Of all the studies carried out, very few have been conducted on aquatic insects and even fewer on marine insects.…”

Whitefly Endosymbionts: Biology, Evolution, and Plant Virus Interactions

“…This early report supported the hypothesis that the development of B. tabaci biotypes (now cryptic species) may have been facilitated by secondary endosymbionts and differences in their composition among the biotypes (see references in [ 39 ]). Since then, the prevalence, diversity, and phylogenetic relationships of endosymbionts in B. tabaci have been well documented from specific regions worldwide (e.g., [ 33 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 ]) and on a global scale among a variety of cryptic species (e.g., [ 11 , 12 , 79 , 108 , 109 , 110 ]).…”