An integrative approach to discovering cryptic species within the Bemisia tabaci whitefly species complex.

ABSTRACT: Bemisia tabaci is a cryptic whitefly-species complex that includes some of the most damaging pests and plant-virus vectors of a diverse range of food and fibre crops worldwide. We combine experimental evidence of: (i) differences in reproductive compatibility, (ii) hybrid verification using a specific nuclear DNA marker and hybrid fertility confirmation and (iii) high-throughput sequencing-derived mitogenomes, to show that the "Mediterranean" (MED) B. tabaci comprises at least two distinct biological species; the globally invasive MED from the Mediterranean Basin and the "African silver-leafing" (ASL) from sub-Saharan Africa, which has no associated invasion records. We demonstrate that, contrary to its common name, the "ASL" does not induce squash silver-leafing symptoms and show that spe

SUBMITTER: Vyskocilova S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6052153 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature