Characterization of biotype T ofBemisia tabaci associated withEuphorbia characias in Sicily

Abstract

The T biotype ofBemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889), a population found colonizingEuphorbia characias L. plants on the Nebrodi-Peloritani mountains in Sicily, was biologically characterized. The minimum development time was 29.7 days at 28°C. Based on the regression of 1/dayvs T, the rate of development was calculated as 0.00206, the theoretical lower temperature threshold for development as 9.3°C, and the sum of effective temperatures as 485.1. At 25° C, egg-to-adult development was significantly shorter onDatura stramonium (30.1 days) than on eitherEuphorbia pulcherrima orEuphorbia characias (35.6 and 35.4 days, respectively). The fourth instar nymphs grown onD. stramonium had the typical oval outline and seven pairs of dorsal setae located on cone-like processes, often barely visible. The fourth instar nymphs and their pupal cases grown onE. characias had the outline deformed by the presence of hairs on the lower surface of the leaf. The pupae onD. stramonium were significantly larger (both longer and wider) than those reared onE. characias; on both host plants, female pupae were significantly larger than male ones. Analysis of variance showed that width of females onD. stramonium was significantly larger than the width of those reared onE. characias. Attempts at courtship between T- and Q-biotypes were observed, but adults from different biotypes were never seen mating. Only males were obtained from the seven heterologous crossing attempts, either way, whereas homologous, control breeding produced males and females. The T biotype was able to transmitTomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia begomovirus (TYLCSV) fromD. stramonium toD. stramonium, from tomato to tomato and from tomato toD. stramonium. Attempts to transmit TYLCSV fromD. stramonium to tomato were unsuccessful. The transmission efficiency was significantly lower when tomato was the test plant. The diverse biology and ecology of the T biotype confirm that it is genetically different from most Mediterranean biotypes.