Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 still remains the dominant species in open field crops in Brazil

Among Bemisia tabaci species, the invasive MEAM1 and MED species are key agricultural pests for many crops. In Brazil, most part of B. tabaci population outbreaks were associated with MEAM1, which, since 1990s quickly spread across the entire country. Later in 2014, the MED was identified in Brazil, initially more restricted to greenhouses, but suddenly reaching new areas in the South and Southeast open regions. Thus, our objective was to investigate the geographical distribution of MEAM1 and MED on open field crops in Brazil. MEAM1 is still the predominant species on open field crops such as soybean, cotton, and tomato. The sequencing of a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragment revealed a single haplotype of MEAM1, suggesting the establishment of a single MEAM1 strain in the country. The haplotypes found for MEAM1 and MED are genetically related to the globally dispersed strains, Jap1 and Mch1, respectively. Continuous monitoring of B. tabaci species is crucial because landscape alterations, climatic changes, and pest management methods may shift the B. tabaci species distribution and dominance in Brazilian crop areas.