Influence of antibiotics on the fitness parameters of rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus, is an invasive phloem-feeder reported in India during July–August 2016. Bacterial communities associated with insects play a major role in their fitness parameters. To resolve this hypothesis, efforts were made to disrupt the facultative secondary symbionts harboured in A. rugioperculatus through disparate antibiotic treatment. The fitness parameters of the antibiotic treated whitefly reared on four different host plants, viz. coconut, banana, sapota and guava were studied. Treatment with antibiotics such as erythromycin E15, ciprofloxacin CIP5, carbenicillin CB100 and cefotaxime CTX30 was done to the whitefly adults by parafilm feeding chamber method, and the fitness parameters of A. rugioperculatus progeny were observed. Antibiotic treatment combinations disrupted the bacterial genera Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Acinetobacter, Lysinibacillus, Arthrobacter and Pseudomonas associated with A. rugioperculatus. Combinations of carbenicillin 100 µg ml–1 + ciprofloxacin 5 µg ml–1 reduced egg hatchability (59.44 ± 0.59%), as well as nymphal survival (31.67 ± 0.40%), increased developmental time (32.69 ± 0.83 days) and reduced fecundity (82.00 ± 0.09 eggs). Antibiotic treatment reduced the fitness parameters, viz. egg hatchability, nymphal survival developmental time and fecundity of A. rugioperculatus reared on coconut followed by banana, sapota and guava. Antibiotic treatment prolonged developmental time of A. rugioperculatus and thus exposing them to parasitoid attack for longer periods. Antibiotic treatment could be used for the effective management of whiteflies