Susceptibility of <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Mediterranean Populations Found in São Paulo, Brazil to 11 Insecticides and Characterization of Their Endosymbionts
Daniel de Lima Alvarez,
Rafael Hayashida,
Michael C. Cavallaro,
Daniel Mariano Santos,
Lucas Moraes Santos,
Cristiane Müller,
Luís Fernando Maranho Watanabe,
Vinicius Henrique Bello,
Renate Krause-Sakate,
William Wyatt Hoback,
Regiane Cristina de Oliveira
Affiliations
Daniel de Lima Alvarez
Crop Protection Department, School of Agronomic Sciences, São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (FCA/UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
Rafael Hayashida
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Michael C. Cavallaro
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Daniel Mariano Santos
Crop Protection Department, School of Agronomic Sciences, São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (FCA/UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
Lucas Moraes Santos
Biotrop, Solutions in Biological Technologies, Curitiba 81460-020, PR, Brazil
Cristiane Müller
Corteva Agriscience, Mogi Mirim 13814-000, SP, Brazil
Luís Fernando Maranho Watanabe
Biotrop, Solutions in Biological Technologies, Curitiba 81460-020, PR, Brazil
Vinicius Henrique Bello
Department of Plant Pathology and Nematology, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
Renate Krause-Sakate
Crop Protection Department, School of Agronomic Sciences, São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (FCA/UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
William Wyatt Hoback
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Regiane Cristina de Oliveira
Crop Protection Department, School of Agronomic Sciences, São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (FCA/UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a significant agricultural pest worldwide, impacting a variety of crop yields. Since the introduction of B. tabaci Mediterranean (MED) species in Brazil, limited research has measured the relative efficacy of the primary insecticides used in whitefly management. This study evaluated the susceptibility of three distinct B. tabaci MED populations to 11 insecticide active ingredients and characterized the bacterial endosymbionts within each population. The insecticides tested were acetamiprid, bifenthrin, cyantraniliprole, diafenthiuron, spiromesifen, imidacloprid, pymetrozine, pyriproxyfen, sulfoxaflor, and thiamethoxam. Results showed varying LC50 and LC90 values among tested insecticides and populations. Notably, populations varied in response to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam with some populations having a 6× higher tolerance. Sequencing data of endosymbionts revealed that individuals from the most susceptible B. tabaci population harbored Rickettsia and Arsenophonus, whereas these bacteria were not detected in the resistant populations. These findings highlight the need for frequent insecticide toxicity bioassays of distinct B. tabaci populations and the adoption of integrated pest management strategies to preserve the efficacy of insecticides for B. tabaci control. Additionally, the role of infection by endosymbionts to alter susceptibility should be further explored.
