Data from: Insecticides promote viral outbreaks by altering herbivore competition

While the management of biological invasions is often characterized by a series of single-species decisions, invasive species exist within larger food webs. These biotic interactions can alter the impact of control/eradication programs and may cause suppression efforts to inadvertently facilitate invasion spread and impact. We document the rapid replacement of the invasive Bemisia MEAM1 cryptic species by the cryptic MED species throughout China, and demonstrate that MED is more tolerant of insecticides and a better vector of tomato yellow leaf curl virus ('TYLCV') than MEAM1. While MEAM1 usually excludes MED under natural conditions, insecticide application reverses the MEAM1-MED competitive hierarchy and allows MED to exclude MEAM1. The insecticide-mediated success of MED has led to TYLCV outbreaks throughout China. Our work strongly supports the hypothesis that insecticide use in China reverses the MEAM1-MED competitive hierarchy and allows MED to displace MEAM1 in managed landscapes. By promoting the dominance of a Bemisia species that is a competent viral vector, insecticides thus increase the spread and impact of TYLCV in heterogeneous agroecosystems.

尽管生物入侵治理通常以一系列针对单一物种的决策为核心特征，但入侵物种实际存活于更大尺度的食物网之中。这些生物相互作用会改变防控或根除项目的实施效果，甚至可能导致抑制入侵的行动无意间加速了入侵物种的扩散及其危害程度。我们记录了在中国全境范围内，入侵性烟粉虱（Bemisia）MED隐存种快速取代MEAM1隐存种的过程，并证实MED相较于MEAM1，对杀虫剂具有更高的耐受性，同时是番茄黄化曲叶病毒（TYLCV）更高效的传播媒介。尽管在自然条件下MEAM1通常会排斥MED，但杀虫剂的使用逆转了二者的竞争层级，使得MED得以取代MEAM1。这种由杀虫剂介导的MED种群优势，已在全国范围内引发了番茄黄化曲叶病毒的暴发流行。本研究有力支持了这一假说：在中国使用杀虫剂会逆转MEAM1与MED的竞争层级，并使得MED在人为管理的生境中取代MEAM1。通过促进一种具备高效病毒传播能力的烟粉虱物种占据优势地位，杀虫剂由此加剧了番茄黄化曲叶病毒在异质性农业生态系统中的扩散与危害。