Tomato secondary metabolites as natural regulators of <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> behavior and performance: current applicability and prospects.

ABSTRACT: The sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is one of the most damaging insect pests of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), often causing severe yield losses and transmitting viral pathogens such as Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus. Although chemical insecticides are commonly used for whitefly management, the rapid development of insecticide resistance in B. tabaci poses a major challenge to sustainable control. In contrast, wild tomato genotypes exhibit superior resistance, primarily attributed to the production of secondary metabolites (SMs), such as terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and acylsugars. These natural compounds affect whitefly behavior, feeding, development, and survival through both deterrent (antixenosis) and toxic or growth-inhibiting (antibiosis) mechanisms. This

SUBMITTER: Maldonado Machado da Cruz VH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12851975 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature