Eight B haplogroups of Bemisia tabaci can be distinguished based on the mtCOI sequence within the North Africa-Middle East (NAFME) major clade, herein, NAFME 1-8. Haplotypes NAFME 1-3 constitute a single population (p=0.08) associated with the warm desert regions typified by the Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia (Africa) climatic zone. Haplotypes NAFME 4 and 5 are distinct populations that inhabit warm and cold semi-arid locales, respectively, delimited by the Irano-Turanian floristic region that harbors extensive biodiversity. Haplotypes 6 and 7 coexist in Israel on the western side of the Mediterranean Sea, while NAFME 8 is endemic to Cyprus, Turkey, the Mediterranean region of Israel and micro-niche deserts scattered throughout Egypt and Israel. The resilience of NAFME 8 to extreme climate conditions appears to have contributed importantly to its’ extant nearly-cosmopolitan distribution in multiple extant arid and semi-arid zones in dry world regions, and therefore to its invasive reputation. In contrast to NAFME 8, NAFME 6, endemic to the eastern Mediterranean region where a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (csa) prevails, is the only other B. tabaci B haplotype to have established beyond its area of endemism, and in contrast, its distribution is limited to southern India and eastern China. Contrary to the exaggerated claims that the B mitotype is invasive as an entity, these results ascertain that at least 8 genetic variants/populations comprise the NAFME species, and among them, only two have established beyond their respective zones of endemism. The other six haplotypes may possibly pose a threat to future global agriculture.
