Invasion and potential spread of the Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (MED) Q2 subgroup in Korea

초록

Bemisia tabaci is a species complex consisting of at least 44 genetically diverse cryptic species with a global distribution. Among them, Mediterranean (MED) is highly invasive and have been spread worldwide including Korea. The MED complex includes four subgroups, with Q1 currently dominant in Korea. Recent studies indi cated that Q2, another subgroup of MED, was firstly detected in two noncontiguous regions in 2018, but its further distribution and impact remain unclear. This study surveyed the distribution of Q1 and Q2 analyzing the mtCOI sequences of samples collected at 65 locations on tomato and other host plants from 2021 to 2024 in Korea. Q1 subgroup was distributed throughout the country, and the Q2 subgroup was found at 11 regions in four provinces: Gyunggi (Gwangju), South Chungcheong (Dangjin), South Gyeongsang (Miryang and Busan), and Gangwon (Youngwol, Hongseong, and Pyungchang). This suggests that Q2 has spread into new regions of Korea. Further analysis showed that endosymbiont profiles differed between the two subgroups: Q2 harbored Rickettsia and Arsenophonus, while Q1 harbored Hamiltonella and Cardinium. The Q2 populations was female-dominant (31.5:68.5), but Q1 was slightly male-biased (53.7:46.3). The oviposition rate of Q2 (5.13 ± 0.33) was higher than Q1(3.25 ± 0.25). The cross-mating between Q1 and Q2 populations showed that Q1:Q2 ratio of F1 offspring was Q2-dominant (23.5:76.5) when reared on tomato plants, while near-equal ratio on tobacco and cotton plants. Our findings indicate potential spread of Q2 subgroup in Korea and suggest that further continuous monitoring for the development of effective management strategies of B. tabaci MED Q2 subgroup in Korea.

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