Biotype of whitefly ‘Asia I’ identified as a pest of cassava, for the first time. In the study different stages of whitely like eggs, nymphs and adults were collected from cassava plants and were successfully reared separately in cages. To confirm the results as cassava is a natural host for this biotype of whitefly, we have observed for the development of settled ‘red eyed nymph’ or pseudo pupa which will be formed only in natural hosts of the pest. Further, the biotype was confirmed using mtCO1 sequence analysis.

Mining out of functional diversity of bacterial community present in the insect, revealed their role in making B. tabaci a successful vector and polyphagous pest of global importance. . NGS Analysis also showed the presence of specific endosymbionts like Asenophonus which was found present only in high CMD infested area and it was present only in Asia II 5 biotype.

Whiteflies infesting tuber crops were identified as Bemisia tabaci (cassava, sweet potato), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus (arrowroot) and Aleurodicus dispersus (cassava) through molecular methods.

Molecular identification of endosymbiotic bacteria associated with whiteflies infesting tropical tuber crops

Genetic variant/ biotype specific banding patternsBemisia specific ten ISSR primers were developed for the first time and it will be useful in genetic variability study in whiteflies and genetic variant/ biotype specific banding patterns were developed for Asia I and Asia II 5 biotypes of whitefly.

Diagnostic PCR technique for the presence of bacterial endosymbionts in whiteflies using specific bacterial primers