title: First report of Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (Q biotype) species in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a major cosmopolitan pest and comprises a complex of more than 36 cryptic species that cause serious damage to agricultural crops worldwide. In this study, the Mediterranean species of B. tabaci, formerly known as Q biotype, was identified for the first time in Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adult B. tabaci were collected from different localities and hosts from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of the country that borders Uruguay and Argentina. Partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene indicated that B. tabaci MED species appears to be restricted to the province of Barra do Quaraí, infesting Capsicum annuum cultivated in greenhouses and Ipomoea batatas in open fields. The partial mtCOI sequences obtained shared 100% nucleotide identity with reference sequences for the Q biotype reported from Uruguay. The secondary endosymbionts Hamiltonella and Cardinium were detected by PCR in the new identified MED species from Brazil, similarly to the Q biotype from Uruguay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate the presence of the MED species in Brazil. The close monitoring of this new identified species in the southern region of Brazil is essential to avoid its geographical expansion to more important agricultural areas in the country.
authors.affiliation: UNESP - Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Botucatu, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: da Fonseca Barbosa
authors.forename: Valdir Atsushi
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: Julio Massaharu
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Marubayashi
authors.forename: Bruno Rossitto
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: De Marchi
authors.forename: Fernando Luis
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Perini
authors.forename: Marcelo Agenor
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: Danielle Ribeiro
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: de Barros
authors.forename: Murad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghanim
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moriones
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navas-Castillo
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krause-Sakate
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001938:Brazil; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D007300:Insect Control; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Bemisia tabaci; MED species; invasion; whitefly