Bacterial Endosymbiont Diversity Among (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Populations in Florida.

The sweetpotato whitefly, (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a pest of many economically important agricultural crops and a vector of plant viruses. harbors facultative endosymbiont species that have been implicated in pest status, including tolerance to insecticides, virus transmission efficiency and tolerance to high-temperatures. The facultative endosymbionts reported in include , , , , and . We collected whitefly populations from weed and crop hosts in south Florida and identified the whitefly species as well as the facultative endosymbionts present in these populations by molecular analysis. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis of whiteflies and their endosymbionts was performed. The only facultative endosymbionts found among the populations collected in Florida were and . The phylogenetic analysis revealed the low genetic diversity of whiteflies and their endosymbionts. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree clustered from Florida in the R1 genetic group. The results will aid to understand the role of the bacterial endosymbionts in the whitefly host.