Influence of Taxonomic Diversity on Host Plant Preference of Different Species of Bemisia

Studies on influence of taxonomic diversity on host plant preference of different species of Bemisia revealed that out of 42 species of it, B. afer was the prominent one with a host range of 67 plants, exhibiting polyphagous nature. Except 5 all the Bemisia species feed predominantly on plants belonging to Lignosae in dicotyledons. Twenty one Bemisia species manifested monophagy, i.e., 18, 2 and 3 in Lignosae, Herbaceae and monocotyledons , respectively. Host preference across the Bemisia species revealed that they prefer dicotyledons with special affinity to Lignosae . In monocotyledons , host species tended to align with Corolliferae and Glumiflorae and none in Calyciferae .