Fitness costs associated with infections of secondary endosymbionts in the cassava whitefly species Bemisia tabaci.

ABSTRACT: We investigated the dual effects of bacterial infections and diseased cassava plants on the fitness and biology of the Bemisia tabaci infesting cassava in Africa. Isofemale B. tabaci colonies of sub-Saharan Africa 1-subgroup 3 (SSA1-SG3), infected with two secondary endosymbiotic bacteria Arsenophonus and Rickettsia (AR+) and those free of AR infections (AR-), were compared for fitness parameters on healthy and East African cassava mosaic virus-Uganda variant (EACMV-UG)-infected cassava plants. The whitefly fecundity and nymph development was not affected by bacterial infections or the infection of cassava by the virus. However, emergence of adults from nymphs was 50 and 17% higher by AR- on healthy and virus-infected plants, respectively, than AR+ flies. Development time of adults also wa

SUBMITTER: Ghosh S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5750334 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature