Effects of antibiotic treatments on symbiotic bacteria and life history traits of Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): implications for pest control strategies.

ABSTRACT: Bemisia tabaci Gennadius and Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood are damaging agricultural pests, with control complicated by their high reproduction and resistance to treatments. This study investigates the effects of antibiotic treatments on the symbiotic bacteria and life history traits of these whitefly species using primer-specific PCRs, quantitative PCRs (qPCRs), and life table analyses. Results revealed that B. tabaci (isolate IUT1) hosts a diverse set of symbionts, including Portiera, Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus, and Rickettsia, while T. vaporariorum (isolate IUT2) carries only Portiera and Arsenophonus. The antibiotic treatments-tetracycline, rifampicin, and a cocktail of ampicillin, cefotaxime, and gentamicin-significantly altered the abundance of specific symbionts, with notable r

SUBMITTER: Kashkouli M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12698220 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature