Adult attractiveness and oviposition preference of Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) B-biotype in cotton genotypes

Abstract

The silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci B-biotype is an important pest of cotton; it affects plant vigour, transmits geminivirus and reduces lint quality. In order to evaluate the resistance of cotton genotypes, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), to the whitefly Bemisia tabaci B-biotype, both free-choice and no-choice attractiveness and non-preference for oviposition tests were carried out in a shade house, at room temperature. Low attractiveness to adults of this whitefly was observed for plants of genotypes Fabrika, CNPA Ita 90, Makina, Coodetec 407, and IAC 01-639 CPA 02-24, which may represent a resistance component of these genetic materials to the insect. Genotypes BRS Aroeira, Coodetec 406, Fabrika, and Coodetec 401 presented the non-preference-for-oviposition type of resistance in the free-choice and no-choice tests. The numbers of trichomes and gossypol glands per cm² were not suitable to evaluate non-preference for oviposition of whitefly adults on cotton genotypes.