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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408993
Research Project: Basic and Applied Approaches for Pest Management in Vegetable Crops

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Behavioral responses of Delphastus catalinae to odors of Bemisia tabaci and tomato yellow leaf curl virus disease complex: implications for biological control in vegetable crops

Author
item JONES, TARA-KAY - Corteva Agriscience
item Andreason, Sharon
item Simmons, Alvin

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/31/2024
Publication Date: 7/19/2024
Citation: Jones, T.L., Andreason, S.A., Simmons, A.M. 2024. Behavioral responses of Delphastus catalinae to odors of Bemisia tabaci and tomato yellow leaf curl virus disease complex: implications for biological control in vegetable crops. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology. 40(1):7-17. https://doi.org/10.3954/JAUE24-02.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3954/JAUE24-02

Interpretive Summary: Damage from a combination of effects from the sweetpotato whitefly and the whitefly-transmitted tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) can result in 100% yield losses in tomato. Delphastus catalinae is a lady beetle that feeds on whiteflies. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of TYLCV on the behavior of this lady beetle. We found that the beetle is more attracted to odors from TYLCV-infected whiteflies as compared with whiteflies that are not infected with the virus, while TYLCV-infected tomato plants were less attractive to the beetle as compared with healthy tomato plants. Results from this study help scientists in developing sustainable whitefly management strategies in vegetable crops.

Technical Abstract: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci and the whitefly-transmitted tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) complex poses a significant threat to vegetable crops that sometimes results in 100% yield losses. Delphastus catalinae, a predator, is commercially marketed as a biological control agent to help mitigate damage from B. tabaci. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of TYLCV on the behavioral responses of D. catalinae. Y-tube olfactometer experiments were conducted to examine the responses of D. catalinae towards B. tabaci with and without TYLCV on tomato (a TYLCV host plant) and collard (a non-TYLCV host plant). The results demonstrate that D. catalinae exhibits a preference for the odor emitted by TYLCV-infected whiteflies compared to virus-free whiteflies. Conversely, the attractiveness of TYLCV-infected tomato plants was lower compared to mock-inoculated healthy tomato plants. No significant behavioral differences were observed in the responses of the beetle towards TYLCV-viruliferous insects on both tomato and collard plants. This research sheds light on the intricate tritrophic relationships impacting the host-finding abilities of insect predators in vegetable production systems. Understanding the behavioral responses of D. catalinae to B. tabaci and TYLCV contributes to the development of effective biological control strategies in the management of whitefly pests in vegetable crops.