Biocontrol Science and Technology (2015) 25, 1285-1298

Pengfei Zhang, Yinwei You, Yuan Song, Youzhi Wang and Long Zhang (2015)
First record of Aspergillus oryzae (Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae) as an entomopathogenic fungus of the locust, Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Biocontrol Science and Technology 25 (11), 1285-1298
Abstract: A novel entomopathogenic fungus of Locusta migratoria was identified as Aspergillus oryzae using a comparative sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions, aflatoxin B₁ detection and morphological analysis. The fungus isolated from a dead locust collected in northwestern China was found to be pathogenic to the insect. Phylogenetic experiments revealed a 99% similarity between the fungus and those of three species, A. oryzae, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parvisclerotigenus which are in the same branch of the Flavi section of the genus Aspergillus. Tests to detect aflatoxin B₁ demonstrated that this fungus is a non-aflatoxin B₁ producer, unlike A. parvisclerotigenus. Furthermore, morphological comparison with A. oryzae and A. flavus revealed that Aspergillus sp. XJ-1 belongs to A. oryzae, and named as A. oryzae XJ-1. The results of bioassays against third-instar locusts showed that mortality was dose-dependent and its median lethal concentrations were 3.3 × 10⁸, 1.7 × 10⁷ and 7.2 × 10⁶ conidia/ml on the 10th-, 13th- and 15th-day post-inoculation. Therefore, the A. oryzae XJ-1 may have biocontrol potential against locusts.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Long Zhang

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Locusta migratoria		China (NW)
Aspergillus oryzae (entomopathogen)	Locusta migratoria		China (NW)