Abstract:

Whiteflies are plant sap-feeding insects that harbor prokaryotic symbionts, including primary and secondary endosymbionts. In this study, PCR-based detection of prokaryotic endosymbionts of a Bemisia tabaci B biotype and a non-B biotype China-ZHJ-1 population in Zhejiang, China was performed. Both B and non-B biotype populations harbored a common primary endosymbiont, but different secondary endosymbionts. A secondary endosymbiont of the family Enterobacteriaceae was detected in the B biotype population but not in the non-B biotype. Two other secondary endosymbionts, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus, were detected in non-B biotype population but not in B biotype. Phylogenetic analysis of primary endosymbionts based on 16S rDNA indicates that the non-B biotype is native to China while the B biotype is an invasive biotype.



Key words: Bemisia tabaci, endosymbiont, Wolbachia, Arsenophonus, phylogenesis, 16S rDNA, 23S rDNA