Prominence of bacterial endosymbionts infection in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) cryptic species

The association between primary and secondary endosymbionts in the updated 46 recognized cryptic Bemisia tabaci species has to be identified, considering their economic importance. The species confirmational studies were done through amplification of species specific primers of 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes for their presence in B. tabaci populations (Asia I, Asia II 1, Asia II 7 and China 3) in Bihar (30 populations: 17 interhost and 13 interlocation). The amplified PCR products were electrophoretically separated on agarose gel and confirmed the occurrence of (P) endosymbiont, Portiera sp., and five (S) endosymbionts, Arsenophonus sp., Cardinium sp., Hamiltonella sp., Rickettsia sp. and Wolbachia sp. in B. tabaci populations. Among endosymbionts, Portiera sp. was identified in all B. tabaci individuals of both interhost and interlocation with 100%, followed by Arsenophonus sp. (96.7%); Wolbachia sp. and Rickettsia sp. (93.3% each); Hamiltonella sp. (70.0%) and Cardinium sp. was rarely detected with 60.0%. Overall, our findings showed a distribution pattern of secondary endosymbionts, especially amid interhost and interlocation B. tabaci populations.