Insects (2020) 11 (2 - 115)

Nicholas Johnston and Xavier Martini (2020)
The influence of visual and olfactory cues in host selection for Bemisia tabaci biotype B in the presence or absence of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus
Insects 11 (2 - 115)
Abstract: The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is one of the most destructive agricultural pests in the world, vectoring a large number of devastating viruses, including Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV). When selecting a host, B. tabaci is primarily influenced by a range of visual and olfactory cues. Therefore, elucidating how such cues become modified in the presence of whitefly-vectored begomoviruses is critical to better understanding the epidemiology of many economically important diseases. The goal of this study was to determine how both visual and odor cues interact in the presence of TYLCV. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, whiteflies were submitted to a range of isolated visual and olfactory cues to determine behavioral changes. B. tabaci choices were then compared to both stimuli combined in the presence or absence of TYLCV. Under visual stimuli only, B. tabaci exhibited a visual attraction to the color yellow, TYLCV-infected tomato leaves, and TYLCV-infected tomato volatiles. Attraction was the strongest overall when both visual and olfactory cues from TYLCV-symptomatic tomato plants were combined, as opposed to a single isolated cue. These results highlight the importance of both sensory stimuli during B. tabaci host selection in the presence of an associated begomovirus.
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Database assignments for author(s): Xavier Martini

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bemisia tabaci biotype MEAM1	Squash/pumpkin (Cucurbita)	U.S.A. (SE)
	Tomato yellow leaf curl virus