Manipulation of Whitefly Behavior by Plant Viruses

Abstract

Whiteflies of the Bemisia tabaci complex transmit hundreds of plant viruses belonging to the genera Begomovirus and Crinivirus, among others. Tripartite interactions of whitefly–virus–plant frequently occur during virus infection and transmission. Specifically, virus transmission-related behavior of whitefly, such as preference and feeding, may be altered by viruses and thus exert significant impacts on the outcome of virus spread and epidemics. Here, we provide an overview on the current understanding of the manipulation of whitefly behavior by plant viruses. Plant viruses can significantly modulate whitefly preference and feeding behavior, either directly or in a plant-mediated manner. In general, non-viruliferous whiteflies tend to prefer virus-infected plants, and viruliferous whiteflies are more likely to prefer uninfected plants. In most cases, virus infection of plants and/or whitefly seems to exhibit positive or no effects on whitefly feeding on plants. The significance and evolution of these patterns are then discussed. Finally, we suggest several future directions of research, such as the exploration of temporal dynamics and the dissection of underlying mechanisms of virus-induced changes in whitefly behavior.