Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2017) 165, 138-147

Nathalie Kristine Prado Maluta, Alberto Fereres and João Roberto Spotti Lopes (2017)
Settling preferences of the whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci on infected plants varies with virus family and transmission mode
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 165 (2-3), 138-147
Abstract: Virus infection may change not only the host-plant phenotypic (morphological and physiological) characteristics, but can also modify the behavior of their insect vector in a mutualistic or rather antagonistic manner, to promote their spread to new hosts. Viruses differ in their modes of transmission and depend on vector behavior for successful spread. Here, we investigated the effects of the semi-persistently transmitted Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV, Crinivirus) and the persistent circulative Tomato severe rugose virus (ToSRV, Begomovirus) on alighting preferences and arrestment behavior of their whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) on tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Santa Clara, Solanaceae). The vector alighting preferences between infected and uninfected plants in choice assays were apparently influenced by the presence of ToCV and ToSRV in the whiteflies or by their previous exposure to infected plants. The observed changes in vector behavior do not seem to benefit the spread of ToCV: non-viruliferous insects clearly preferred mock-inoculated plants, whereas ToCV-viruliferous insects landed on mock-inoculated and ToCV-infected plants, indicating a partial change in insect behavior – ToCV was able to directly affect the preference of its vector B. tabaci, but this change in insect behavior did not affect the virus spread because viruliferous insects landed on mock-inoculated and infected plants indistinctly. In contrast, ToSRV-viruliferous insects preferred to land on mock-inoculated plants, a behavior that increases the probability of spread to new host plants. In the arresting behavior assay, the majority of the insects remained on mock-inoculated plants when released on them. A greater number of insects moved toward mock-inoculated plants when initially released on ToCV- or ToSRV-infected plants, suggesting that these viruses may repel or reduce the nutritional quality of the host plants for B. tabaci MEAM1.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Nathalie Kristine Prado Maluta, João Roberto Spotti Lopes, Alberto Fereres

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bemisia tabaci biotype MEAM1	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Tomato chlorosis virus	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Tomato severe rugose virus	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)