Biocontrol Science and Technology (2017) 27, 811-820

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Yvonne Rondot and Annette Reineke (2017)
Association of Beauveria bassiana with grapevine plants deters adult black vine weevils, Otiorhynchus sulcatus
Biocontrol Science and Technology 27 (7), 811-820
Abstract: Fungal entomopathogens are known as microbial pathogens of insects, colonising multiple habitats and ecosystems. Besides being an entomopathogen, the fungus Beauveria bassiana can also establish as an endophyte in plants. Limited knowledge is so far available on the ability of plant-associated B. bassiana to influence plant-feeding insects. Here, we assessed the capability of adult black vine weevils Otiorhynchus sulcatus to select grapevine as a host plant in the presence of plant-associated B. bassiana after foliar application of a commercially available mycoinsecticide (product Naturalis®) on young potted grapevine plants. Three pairwise comparisons of weevil behaviour were conducted when weevils were released in a two-choice olfactometer and were given the choice between (i) control plants and plants treated with Naturalis®, (ii) control plants and plants treated with the formulation of Naturalis® without fungal propagules, and (iii) plants treated with Naturalis® and plants treated with the formulation. Adult O. sulcatus were significantly deterred by plants treated with Naturalis® or the formulation in comparison to control plants. In a direct comparison between plants treated either with Naturalis® or the formulation weevils significantly preferred plants treated with the formulation and avoided Naturalis® treated plants, where B. bassiana putatively had established as an endophyte. These results suggest that adult black vine weevils are able to detect and subsequently avoid plants treated with B. bassiana and indicate a new mode of action of plant-associated entomopathogenic fungi when integrated in pest management programmes.
(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): Annette Reineke, Yvonne Rondot

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.
	Otiorhynchus sulcatus	Grapevine (Vitis)
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Otiorhynchus sulcatus	Grapevine (Vitis)