Insect Science (2016) 23, 215-224
Li Qin, Li-Long Pan and Shu-Sheng Liu (2016)
Further insight into reproductive incompatibility between putative cryptic species of the Bemisia tabaci whitefly complex
Insect Science 23 (2), 215-224
Abstract: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), with its global distribution and extensive genetic diversity, is now known to be a complex of over 35 cryptic species. However, a satisfactory resolution of the systematics of this species complex is yet to be achieved. Here, we designed experiments to examine reproductive compatibility among species with different levels of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) divergence. The data show that putative species with mtCOI divergence of >8% between them consistently exhibited complete reproductive isolation. However, two of the putative species, Asia II 9 and Asia II 3, with mtCOI divergence of 4.47% between them, exhibited near complete reproductive compatibility in one direction of their cross, and partial reproductive compatibility in the other direction. Together with some recent reports on this topic from the literature, our data indicates that, while divergence in the mtCOI sequences provides a valid molecular marker for species delimitation in most clades, more genetic markers and more sophisticated molecular phylogeny will be required to achieve adequate delimitation of all species in this whitefly complex. While many attempts have been made to examine the reproductive compatibility among genetic groups of the B. tabaci complex, our study represents the first effort to conduct crossing experiments with putative species that were chosen with considerations of their genetic divergence. In light of the new data, we discuss the best strategy and protocols to conduct further molecular phylogenetic analysis and crossing trials, in order to reveal the overall pattern of reproductive incompatibility among species of this whitefly complex.
(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): Shu-Sheng Liu
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
identification/taxonomy
