Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Horizontal Transmission of Endosymbionts Between Whiteflies and Their Parasitoids.

Endosymbionts are widely distributed among insects via intraspecific vertical transmission and interspecific horizontal transmission. Parasitoids have attracted considerable interest due to their possible role in the horizontal transmission of endosymbionts. Horizontal transmission of endosymbionts between whiteflies via parasitoids has been revealed in the laboratory.

Thermotolerance and Heat-Shock Protein Gene Expression Patterns in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Mediterranean in Relation to Developmental Stage.

Temperature plays an important role in the growth, development, and geographic distribution of insects. There is convincing evidence that heat-shock proteins (HSPs) play important roles in helping organisms adapt to thermal stress. To better understand the physiological and ecological influence of thermal stress on the different development stages of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Mediterranean species (MED), nymphs and adults were shocked with temperatures of 35, 38, and 41℃ for 1 and 2 h, respectively, and the survival rate, fecundity, and developmental duration were investigated in the laboratory.

Incomplete removal of Wolbachia with tetracycline has two-edged reproductive effects in the thelytokous wasp Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae).

Wolbachia pipientis are intracellular endosymbionts that induce parthenogenesis in the parasitoid Encarsia formosa. Previous studies that focused on effects of Wolbachia on the wasp usually used tetracycline to remove Wolbachia without concern for the joint influences of tetracycline and Wolbachia. Here we treated the wasps (F0 lines) with tetracycline to produce offspring (F1 lines) which were not fed tetracycline to avoid antibiotic influence.

Effects of Host Sex, Plant Species, and Putative Host Species on the Prevalence of Wolbachia in Natural Populations of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): A Modified Nested PCR Study.

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a globally distributed pest. One of the key endosymbionts in B. tabaci is Wolbachia, an α-proteobacterium implicated in many important biological processes.