Effects of cucumber mosaic virus‐infected chilli plants on non‐vector Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract

Plant virus infections are known to alter host plant attractiveness and suitability for insect herbivores. This study was conducted to determine how cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-infected chilli plants affect the fitness and settling preferences of nonvector whitefly, Bemisia tabaci adults under dual-choice conditions with volatile organic compounds analyzed using solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that the presence of CMV in chilli plants substantially affects the settling preferences of the B. tabaci, which preferred to settle on noninfected plants. Duration of the egg stage and the longevity and fecundity of adult B. tabaci on CMV-infected chilli plants were not markedly different from those on noninfected chilli plants. In contrast, the developmental time from egg to adult was significantly reduced in CMV-infected chilli plants compared to the noninfected plants. The results also showed that CMV-infected chilli plants released significantly more linalool and phenylacetaldehyde than noninfected plants. Overall, it was suggested that the behavioral response of B. tabaci might be modified by CMV-infected plants, which alter the release of specific headspace volatiles. Based on these results, the modification of plant volatile profiles may help in enhancing the effectiveness of biological control and the protection of crop plants against B. tabaci.

Evolutionary Determinants of Host and Vector Manipulation by Plant Viruses

“…CMV (Bromoviridae) induces a transmission-enhancing phenotype in several host plants (Cucurbita pepo, Cucumis sativus, A. thaliana, N. tabacum) (Carmo-Sousa et al, 2014;Mauck et al, 2010Mauck et al, , 2014aShi et al, 2016;Westwood et al, 2013a;. In at least some of these hosts, the transmission-enhancing phenotype also confers drought tolerance (Westwood et al, 2013a;Xu et al, 2008) and reduces susceptibility to generalist and specialist nonvector herbivores (Mauck et al, 2015;Saad et al, 2017), both of which will increase the length of time infected hosts can persist as sources of inoculum. The putative host manipulation and the beneficial effects of virus infection on host resistance to drought and nonvector herbivores have been partially attributed to the functions of the 2b silencing suppressor protein (Westwood et al, 2013a,b).…”

DENSITY AND STRUCTURE OF LEAF TRICHOMES IN Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens

“…For instance, thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) avoided high number of trichomes that limited the movement of the chili thrips (Latha & Hunumanthraya, 2018). Capsicum annuum also emitted terpene volatiles that deter whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) from settling on C. annuum (Saad et al, 2019). Terpene volatiles have been reported to emit from glandular trichomes of tomato, which reduce the thrips infestation on plants (Escobar-Bravo et al, 2017, Chen et al, 2018.…”

Viruses mobilize plant immunity to deter nonvector insect herbivores

“…These arboviruses manipulate the host plant to attract their corresponding vector insects by inhibiting phytohormone-mediated and terpenoid-based communication between the plant and the vector, in turn promoting pathogen transmission among host plants. Some vector-borne plant viruses benefit their vectors by nutritionally deterring or physiologically impairing other herbivore competitors ( 1 , 10 ). These negative effects on other herbivores have implications for enhancing the competitive strength of vectors and the spread of pathogens.…”