Behavior of viruliferous whiteflies to visual and volatile cues

Sunday, November 13, 2022

10:34 AM – 10:48 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 214

Presenting Author(s)

Thomson Paris

Postdoc
University of Florida
Tallahassee, Florida

Co-author(s)

NJ

Nicholas Johnston

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Iris Strzyzewski

PhD Student
University of Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
BR

Benjamin Reimer

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
LV

Lucas Von Hollen

Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Co-Author(s)

SA

Sandra A. Allan

Research Leader
USDA-ARS
Gainesville, Florida

Co-author(s)

Xavier Martini

University of Florida
Quincy, Florida

One of the most significant pests of agriculture is the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, which is a vector for over 100 viruses including a species of geminivirus the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV). Our study set out to determine the potential effect and interactions that may occur following TYLCV infection of plants and whiteflies. Viruliferous and nonviruliferous whitefly behavior was analyzed after exposure to olfactory and visual cues from viruliferous and nonviruliferous plants. Furthermore, plants infected with TYLCV were categorized into early, middle, and late stage and each category was used in Y-tube olfactometer tests. Color spectrophotometry and gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to document changes in color and volatile profiles of tomato plants having the different stages of TYLCV infection. Behavioral data obtained from the Y-tube olfactometer revealed an interaction between TYLCV infection status of B. tabaci and tomato plants. Uninfected whiteflies preferring TYLCV-infected hosts, especially during late stages of infection. Viruliferous B. tabaci attraction to LED visual targets was significantly different from non-viruliferous B. tabaci. Late-stage infected hosts had greater surface areas reflecting yellow-green wavelengths and higher emissions of methyl salicylate in their volatile profiles. These findings shed new light on several key mechanisms involved in the viral manipulation of an insect vector and its economically important host.