The Influence of Visual and Olfactory Cues in Host Selection for Biotype B in the Presence or Absence of .

The silverleaf whitefly, , is one of the most destructive agricultural pests in the world, vectoring a large number of devastating viruses, including (TYLCV). When selecting a host, is primarily influenced by a range of visual and olfactory cues. Therefore, elucidating how such cues become modified in the presence of whitefly-vectored begomoviruses is critical to better understanding the epidemiology of many economically important diseases. The goal of this study was to determine how both visual and odor cues interact in the presence of TYLCV. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, whiteflies were submitted to a range of isolated visual and olfactory cues to determine behavioral changes. choices were then compared to both stimuli combined in the presence or absence of TYLCV. Under visual stimuli only, exhibited a visual attraction to the color yellow, TYLCV-infected tomato leaves, and TYLCV-infected tomato volatiles. Attraction was the strongest overall when both visual and olfactory cues from TYLCV-symptomatic tomato plants were combined, as opposed to a single isolated cue. These results highlight the importance of both sensory stimuli during host selection in the presence of an associated begomovirus.