External Morphology of Antennae Sensilla on Sitefly, Bemisia Tabilverleaf Whaci, (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract

The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, (Gennadius), is important pests to pest to a wide range of crops around the world. The external morphology and distribution of sensilla on the antennal in adult male and female B. tabaci, was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Five types of sensory organs in both sexes on the flagellum were identified, including sensilla microtrichia, sensilla basiconic, sensilla trichodea, sensilla chaetae, sensilla coeloconic and finger-like sensilla. Four coeloconic sensilla, were observed on the antenna sub-segments, two in the first sub-segment, one in the third sub-segment, and one in the fifth sub-segment. basiconic sensilla (BS) were present on the antenna sub-segments of both sexes as single BS in the first, fourth, and fifth sub-segments with deep lengthwise grooves. In contrast, chaetae sensilla were found exclusively on the pedicel in both sexes. Significant differences were found in the length of the antennae, whereas females have greater longer of the antennae than males. These results would be helpful for further studies on detailed in the olfactory response of B. tabaci.