Fourth International Bemisia Workshop International Whitefly Genomics Workshop
Mating Behavior and its Effect on Reproductive Potential of the B and Q Biotypes of Bemisia tabaci
Department of Entomology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, Rehovot, Israel
Ecological interaction between species or sub-species (biotypes), such as reproductive interference, refers to the negative fitness consequences of behavior that disrupts reproduction. Interference may occur between species or biotypes if they have incompletely isolated mate recognition systems. Interspecific reproduction interference includes reduced female reproduction due to mating with heterospecific males, fertilization and aborted development, sperm competition and mate guarding. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci has two biotypes in Israel, B and Q. Although the biotypes exist side by side at many locations, accumulated data suggest them to be reproductively isolated. Recent crossing studies between the two biotypes have shown that interbiotype courtship behavior is common. The goal of this study was to check if interbiotype courtship behavior affects the reproductive potential of the B and Q biotypes. We compared the courtship behavior using intra- (B male and B female or Q male and Q female) and inter- (B male and Q female or Q male and B female) biotype pairs. Fecundity was studied using small populations of males and females from one biotype or populations containing females from one biotype and males from both biotypes. Differences were found in the courtship steps and the total courtship period between the intra- and inter- biotype pairs. We also observed reduction in the fecundity of Q females in the presence of B males. These results suggest that reproductive interference between the B and Q biotypes of B. tabaci exists in at least one direction.