MICROORGANISMS INFLUENCE THE COMPOSITION OF HONEYDEW PRODUCED BY THE SILVERLEAF WHITEFLY, BEMISIA-ARGENTIFOLII

Sugars in the honeydew produced by the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia ar gentifolii, and in fermentation of sucrose using homogenates of these insects were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Resul ts suggest that the unusual disaccharide, trehalulose, found in large quantity in honeydew of B. argentifolii, is produced by obligate intra cellular microorganisms residing in this insect's mycetomes. Some larg er oligosaccharides in this honeydew may be produced by certain Bacill us spp. residing in or on the insects but these bacteria are not invol ved in an obligate relationship with the whitefly.