Original paper

Comparison of demography and biocontrol efficacy of Encarsia sophia reared on Hamiltonella-infected and Hamiltonella-free whitefly strains

Li, Jiayin; Guo, Cuiping; Wang, Lukuan; Yang, Xinyuan; Wu, Shibo; Wu, Qiang; Xu, Haiyun

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Entomologia Generalis Volume 45 Number 2 (2025), p. 505 - 515

published: May 22, 2025
published online: May 15, 2025
manuscript accepted: Mar 8, 2025
final revised version received: Feb 24, 2025
manuscript revision requested: Jan 31, 2025
manuscript received: Jan 8, 2025

DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2025/3307

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ArtNo. ESP146004502018, Price: 29.00 €

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Abstract

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), harbors a diverse array of bacterial endosymbionts, including Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa (hereafter Hamiltonella). The nutritional role of Hamiltonella in regulating the biology of B. tabaci has been well documented, and the potential for disrupting or manipulating whitefly endosymbionts for pest control has increased. However, the precise role of Hamiltonella in the interaction between whiteflies and parasitoids remains unclear. Parasitoids are recognized as effective biological control agents of B. tabaci. Understanding the effects of Hamiltonella on parasitoids across whitefly strains harboring different endosymbionts is of practical importance. In this study, antibiotics were employed to selectively eliminate Hamiltonella from B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 to examine its effects on the demography and biocontrol efficacy of Encarsia sophia (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a dominant parasitoid of B. tabaci. The results showed that the elimination of Hamiltonella in B. tabaci led to a prolonged immature development period, reduced adult longevity, and decreased survival rate and fecundity of E. sophia. Although no significant difference was observed in the net host-feeding rate (C 0) and whitefly-killing rate (Z 0) between Hamiltonella-infected and Hamiltonella-free whitefly strains, E. sophia reared on Hamiltonella-infected B. tabaci performed better as a biological control agent compared to those reared on Hamiltonella-free B. tabaci, as assessed by the life table parameters. These results indicate that the elimination of Hamiltonella in whitefly reduces the fitness of the parasitoid. Considering this negative effect on parasitoids, the use of antibiotics to disrupt Hamiltonella symbiont for whitefly control should be approached with caution.

Keywords


Bemisia tabaci
• endosymbiont • Aphelinidae • two-sex life table • antibiotics