Interaction of Bemisia tabaci with East African cassava mosaic virus-Infected Plants

Abstract

In examining the interaction of Bemisia tabaci with East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV) infected cassava plants, the number of eggs oviposited, developing nymphal instars and eclosed adults were not significantly different between uninfected and EACMV-infected plants. Highest mortality occurred on non-viruliferous first instars and on viruliferous fourth instars on infected plants. Highest mortality was also observed on fourth instars of both viruliferous and ­non-viruliferous whiteflies developing on uninfected plants. Development of non-viruliferous B. tabaci was 62% and 77% on uninfected and infected plants res­pectively and this was 56% and 59% respectively for viruliferous whiteflies. Developmental period of non-viruliferous whiteflies was 25 days on both uninfected and infected plants. Viruliferous whiteflies reflected a developmental period of 25 days on uninfected plants and 26 days on infected plants. Irrespective of the viruliferous nature of B. tabaci and infection status of plants, eclosed adults were always in a 1:1 ratio of females to males. Infected or uninfected plants colonized by B. tabaci for at least two generations reflected no significant differences in the ­number of eggs and subsequent developing juveniles. Subsequent studies revealed no interaction effect between plant health status and the viruliferous status of ­whiteflies in relation to oviposition and total number of eclosed adults. There were no significant differences in the total number of emerged adults between infected and uninfected plants, and between viruliferous and non-viruliferous whiteflies. The effect of EACMV on B. tabaci is neutral, in that the virus has not affected the vector through direct or indirect measures.