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Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

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Student Competition

Undergrad Poster Competition: SysEB, Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation

D3217: Global characterization of endosymbiont meta-communities associated with Bemisia tabaci mitotypes

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC
Poster Display Student Competition
Some mitotypes of Bemisia tabaci pose a significant threat to food and fiber crops worldwide, causing damage through phloem feeding, honeydew secretion, and the transmission of plant viruses. The introduction of mitotypes "B" and "Q," to the US in the late 1980s and early 2000s resulted in substantial economic losses, estimated at 200 to 500 million dollars over a decade-long outbreak. While these exotic mitotypes typically outcompete endemic B. tabaci populations, leading to their near-extinction, instances of resilience in endemic B. tabaci populations have been observed in certain habitats. This resilience is likely attributed to endosymbiotic bacteria residing within whitefly bodies, which may influence species fitness and adaptation capabilities. Our research aims to characterize the composition of endosymbiont meta-communities across B. tabaci mitotypes in diverse micro-environmental habitats with the overarching goal of elucidating the mechanisms enabling endemic B. tabaci to withstand displacement pressures from exotic whitefly mitotypes. Here, we outline a standardized approach to study the microbiome of B. tabaci mitotypes. We developed an Illumina-based meta-community profiling approach to characterize endosymbiotic compositions across whitefly populations. Our findings reveal a diverse microbial composition larger than previously reported, shedding light on the important role of endosymbiont in the biology of whitefly supervector mitotypes. This research sets the stage for the development of innovative strategies for mitigating the impact of exotic whitefly supervector mitotypes on agriculture.