Does dispersal affect the reproductive physiology of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci?

The reproductive physiology of sweet potato whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), was examined after their dispersal from cotton fields. Of particular interest was the synthesis of vitellogenins and the production of mature eggs. Whiteflies that dispersed out of fields, and were flying at approximate to 0.1 m above the soil surface, exhibited a reproductive physiology that was not significantly different from whiteflies that remained in cotton fields. However, B. tabaci caught at 2.1 m above the ground matured eggs at a significantly lower rate. It appears these latter whiteflies exhibit a physiology that indicates a reallocation of nutrient and energy resources in support of movement.