First record of the Q Biotype of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, intercepted in the UK

For the UK, Bemisia tabaci poses a threat primarily to protected vegetable crops due to the transmission of several plant-pathogenic viruses. There are at least 24 different biotypes of B. tabaci that cannot be differentiated through morphological traits. The B (Middle East-Asia Minor 1 species) and Q (Mediterranean species) biotypes are widely considered to be the most important and, as such, the ability to rapidly and precisely biotype B. tabaci interceptions is vital when developing effective control strategies. Intercepted adult/pupal B. tabaci received from the UK Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) during 2002–2003 (n?=?60) and 2010–2011 (n?=?42) were both biotyped and tested for the presence of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) using a real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan? chemistry. The positive results indicated that during 2002–2003 the Q biotype comprised 68.3?% of the interceptions whilst in 2010–2011 it comprised 66.7?% of the B. tabaci samples intercepted. Only three of the B biotypes collected during 2002–2003 were positive for TYLCSV, two originating from Israel and the other of unknown origin. The implications in regards to pest management of the insect are discussed.