Molecular Identification of the Biotype of Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Inhabiting the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Journal of biological sciences (Faisalabad, Pakistan) Vol. 14; no. 8; pp. 494 - 500
• Main Authors: Alhudaib, Khalid Abdullah, Rezk, Adel Abdel-Sabour, Abdel-Bana, Babiker Mohamed Ahme, Soliman, Ahmed Mohamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2014
• Subjects: Bemisia tabaci
• ISSN: 1727-3048; 1812-5719
• DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2014.494.500

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) is a worldwide important insect pest and vector of plain viruses. Recently, the whitefly populations upsurges dramatically in Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia due to the expansion in greenhouse cropping system and it causes severe economic damage to many vegetable crops in greenhouses. Proper classilication of the whitefly that prevails in the area is a crucial step towards efficient management of the pest. The specimens for this study were collected from nine different locations of the whitefly populations in Al-Ahsa region. The study was done on the basis of three molecular techniques namely: 1. PCR amplification and polymorphic analysis of restriction enzyme digestion of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCOI), 2. cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, and 3. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA polymerase Chain Reaction (RAPD PCR) analysis. The results of these molecular techniques clearly indicated the dominance of B biotype of the whitefly on crops grown in greenhouses in Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia.