BACKGROUND: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a major cosmopolitan pest and comprises a complex of more than 36 cryptic species that cause serious damage to agricultural crops worldwide. In this study, the Mediterranean species of B. tabaci, formerly known as Q biotype, was identified for the first time in Brazil. RESULTS: Adult B. tabaci were collected from different localities and hosts from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of the country that borders Uruguay and Argentina. Partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene indicated that B. tabaci MED species appears to be restricted to the province of Barra do Quaraí, infesting Capsicum annuum cultivated in greenhouses and Ipomoea batatas in open fields. The partial mtCOI sequences obtained shared 100% nucleotide identity with reference sequences for the Q biotype reported from Uruguay. The secondary endosymbionts Hamiltonella and Cardinium were detected by PCR in the new identified MED species from Brazil, similarly to the Q biotype from Uruguay. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate the presence of the MED species in Brazil. The close monitoring of this new identified species in the southern region of Brazil is essential to avoid its geographical expansion to more important agricultural areas in the country.
BACKGROUND: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a major cosmopolitan pest and comprises a complex of more than 36 cryptic species that cause serious damage to agricultural crops worldwide. In this study, the Mediterranean species of B. tabaci, formerly known as Q biotype, was identified for the first time in Brazil. RESULTS: Adult B. tabaci were collected from different localities and hosts from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of the country that borders Uruguay and Argentina. Partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene indicated that B. tabaci MED species appears to be restricted to the province of Barra do Quaraí, infesting Capsicum annuum cultivated in greenhouses and Ipomoea batatas in open fields. The partial mtCOI sequences obtained shared 100% nucleotide identity with reference sequences for the Q biotype reported from Uruguay. The secondary endosymbionts Hamiltonella and Cardinium were detected by PCR in the new identified MED species from Brazil, similarly to the Q biotype from Uruguay. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate the presence of the MED species in Brazil. The close monitoring of this new identified species in the southern region of Brazil is essential to avoid its geographical expansion to more important agricultural areas in the country.
Authors: Wee Tek Tay; Thomas K Walsh; Sharon Downes; Craig Anderson; Lars S Jermiin; Thomas K F Wong; Melissa C Piper; Ester Silva Chang; Isabella Barony Macedo; Cecilia Czepak; Gajanan T Behere; Pierre Silvie; Miguel F Soria; Marie Frayssinet; Karl H J Gordon Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-03-28 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Bruno Rossitto De Marchi; Tonny Kinene; James Mbora Wainaina; Renate Krause-Sakate; Laura Boykin Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-07-27 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Jonas Andre Arnemann; Stephen Roxburgh; Tom Walsh; Jerson Guedes; Karl Gordon; Guy Smagghe; Wee Tek Tay Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2019-12-18 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Cesar A D Xavier; Angélica Maria Nogueira; Vinicius Henrique Bello; Luís Fernando Maranho Watanabe; Tarsiane Mara Carneiro Barbosa; Miguel Alves Júnior; Leonardo Barbosa; José E A Beserra-Júnior; Alessandra Boari; Renata Calegario; Eduardo Silva Gorayeb; Jaime Honorato Júnior; Gabriel Koch; Gaus Silvestre de Andrade Lima; Cristian Lopes; Raquel Neves de Mello; Késsia Pantoja; Fábio Nascimento Silva; Roberto Ramos Sobrinho; Enilton Nascimento Santana; José Wilson Pereira da Silva; Renate Krause-Sakate; Francisco M Zerbini Journal: PeerJ Date: 2021-07-15 Impact factor: 2.984