Distribution of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Biotypes in North America After the Q Invasion

ABSTRACT After the 2004 discovery of the Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Q biotype in the United States, there was a vital need to determine the geographical and host distribution as well as its interaction with the resident B biotype because of its innate ability to rapidly develop high-level insecticide resistance that persists in the absence of exposure. As part of a coordinated country-wide effort, an extensive survey of B. tabaci biotypes was conducted in North America, with the cooperation of growers, industry, local, state, and federal agencies, to monitor the introduction and distribution of the Q biotype. The biotype status of submitted B. tabaci samples was determined either by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of a mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I small subunit gene fragment and characterization of two biotype discriminating nuclear microsatellite markers or esterase zymogram analysis. Two hundred and eighty collections were sampled from the United Sta...