Abstract
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) causes serious crop losses worldwide by transmitting viruses. We have previously shown that salicylic acid (SA)-related plant defenses directly affect whiteflies. In this study, we applied exogenous SA to tomato plants in order to investigate the interaction between SA-induced plant volatiles and nonviruliferous B. tabaci B and Q or B- and Q-carrying tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). The results showed that exogenous SA caused plants to repel nonviruliferous whiteflies, but the effect was reduced when the SA concentration was low and when the whiteflies were viruliferous. Exogenous SA increased the number and quantity of plant volatiles—especially the quantity of methyl salicylate and δ-limonene. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, methyl salicylate and δ-limonene repelled the whiteflies, but the repellency was reduced for viruliferous Q. We suggest that the release of plant volatiles as mediated by SA affects the interaction between whiteflies, plants, and viruses. Further studies are needed to determine why viruliferous Q is less sensitive than nonviruliferous Q to repellent plant volatiles.
Highlights
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a highly polyphagous pest that causes substantial economic crop losses worldwide
B. tabaci has rapidly adapted to new climatic zones and has expanded its host range [1]
Our results showed that exogenous salicylic acid (SA) repelled nonviruliferous B. tabaci B and Q
Summary
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a highly polyphagous pest that causes substantial economic crop losses worldwide. In China, the concurrence of the spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) with the invasion of Q suggests a mutualistic relationship between TYLCV and Q; the relationship between TYLCV and B, in contrast, seems to be neutral or deleterious [4,5,6,7]. Based on these results, we hypothesize that plant defense may play an important role in the interaction of whiteflies with plants and viruses
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