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Effect of whitefly parasitoids on the cuticular lipid composition of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) nymphs
Author(s) -
Buckner James S.,
Poprawski Tadeusz J.,
Jones Walker A.,
Nelson Dennis R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6327(200006)44:2<82::aid-arch3>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - nymph , whitefly , biology , homoptera , botany , parasitism , pest analysis , host (biology) , ecology
Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of whitefly parasitoids on the cuticular lipid composition of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring [=sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Biotype B] nymphs. The cuticular lipids of B. argentifolii nymphs that had been attacked by parasitic wasps, either Eretmocerus mundus Mercet or Encarsia pergandiella Howard, were characterized by capillary gas chromatography and CGC‐mass spectrometry and the results compared with the cuticular lipids of unparasitized nymphs. Previous studies with B. argentifolii nymphs had shown that wax esters were the major components of the cuticular lipids with lesser amounts of hydrocarbons, long‐chain aldehydes, and long‐chain alcohols. No appreciable changes in lipid composition were observed for the cuticular lipids of E. pergandiella ‐parasitized nymphs as compared to unparasitized controls. However, the cuticular lipids from nymphs parasitized by E. mundus contained measurable quantities of two additional components in their hydrocarbon fraction. Analyses and comparisons with an authentic standard indicated that the two hydrocarbons were the even‐numbered chain length methyl‐branched alkanes, 2‐methyltriacontane and 2‐methyldotriacontane. The occurrences and possible functions of 2‐methylalkanes as cuticular lipid components of insects are discussed and specifically, in regard to host recognition, acceptance, and discrimination by parasitoids. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 44:82–89, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.