Insect Science (2012) 19, 595-603

Dong Chu, Yun-Li Tao, You-Jun Zhang, Fang-Hao Wan and Judith K. Brown (2012)
Effects of host, temperature and relative humidity on competitive displacement of two invasive Bemisia tabaci biotypes [Q and B]
Insect Science 19 (5), 595-603
Abstract: Bemisia tabaci shifted unexpectedly in China from a predominance of B biotype to Q biotype during 2005-2008. This observation stimulated an interest in investigating whether environmental factors, including host, temperature and relative humidity (RH) could possibly explain the observed shift in biotypes distribution. Results indicated that all three parameters examined influenced biotype survivability. The percentage of B biotype, when reared together on pepper plants with the Q biotype, decreased significantly from 66.7% in the founder population, to 13.6% and 3.7% in the first and second generations, respectively. When the B (founder at 66.7%) and Q (founder at 33.3%) biotypes were reared together on eggplant alone, or on pepper-plus-eggplant combination, the population size of the B biotype either remained constant, or increased somewhat in the first and second generations. On eggplant, the effects of RH and temperature on the competitiveness between the Q and B biotypes (3 pairs of Q and 6 pairs of B) were not significant.
(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): Dong Chu, Judith K. Brown, Fang Hao Wan

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bemisia tabaci biotype MEAM1	Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
	Bemisia tabaci biotype MED	Eggplant (Solanum melongena)