Utility of MtCOI polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in differentiating between Q and B whitefly Bemisia tabaci biotypes

The invasive, insecticide-resistant, Q whitefly biotype, has gradually spread to other countries including the US via human-mediated movement of plant materials. We assessed the utility of the VspI-based mtCOI （mitochondrion cytochrome oxidase I） polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） technique as a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable alternative for differentiating the Q from the dominant B biotype in Arizona. Using the standard mtCOI gene sequencing and mtCOI PCR-RFLP techniques, we biotyped eight whitefly strains of five individuals each collected from poinsettia and cotton at different locations in Arizona. Complete concordance was observed between the two methods, with three strains being identified as the Q biotype and five samples as the B biotype. We also scanned the mtCOI gene sequences for VspI polymorphisms in the B and Q biotype whiteflies currently available in the GenBank database. This global screening revealed the existence of three and four VspI polymorphic types for the Q and B biotypes, respectively. Nevertheless, all three VspI polymorphic Q biotype whiteflies shared a common and unique VspI site that can be used to differentiate Q biotype from the four VspI polymorphic B biotype whiteflies identified. These results demonstrate that the VspI-based mtCOI gene PCR-RFLP provides a reliable diagnostic tool for differentiating the Q and B biotype whiteflies in the US and elsewhere.

Potential adaptation of a Q biotype whitefly population from poinsettia to field crops

The invasive Q biotype whitefly was first detected in the US on poinsettia in 2004 and is still not a pest outside of greenhouse environments in the US. To assess the potential for the establishment of the Q biotype on field crops, population cage experiments were conducted to compare the performance of a poinsettia-derived Q population named P＇06 on poinsettia and six field crops （alfalfa, tomato, melon, cotton, cowpea and cabbage）. P＇06 adults reared on poinsettia as nymphs laid eggs on all six field crops. Significantly more eggs were laid on alfalfa, tomato, melon and cotton than on cabbage, cowpea and poinsettia. These eggs hatched and the nymphs developed to adults on the six field crops. Relative to poinsettia, whitefly survival was similar on cowpea, alfalfa, tomato and cabbage, but significantly higher on cotton and melon. Moreover, P＇06 had significantly shorter development times from egg to adult on cotton, melon, cowpea, tomato and alfalfa than they did on poinsettia. However, the F1 adults raised on the six field crops had significantly shorter lifespans and laid 11- to 18-fold fewer eggs than did the F1 adults raised on poinsettia. Taken together, while P＇06 may have some potential to establish on field crops, the shorter lifespans and extremely low fectmdities of the F1 adults raised on the six field crops suggests that P＇06 is incapable of rapidly adapting to them. Poor adaptation to field crops may explain, at least partially, why the Q biotype has not established in the US field system.