EPPO Bulletin (2019) 49, 570-577

A.N. Trissi, M. El-Bouhssini, M. Skinner and B.L. Parker (2019)
Sublethal effect of Beauveria bassiana on feeding and fecundity of the sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae)
EPPO Bulletin 49 (3), 570-577
Abstract: The sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton, is a major pest of wheat in West and Central Asia. Studies were conducted to investigate the effect of Beauveria bassiana (teleomorph; Cordyceps bassiana) isolates on the sunn pest. Bioassays were done with adult insects collected from overwintering sites at three different times. The effect of sublethal doses of fungi on the insects' feeding and fecundity was determined. When the sunn pest adults were treated with 2 × 10⁷ conidia mL^-1, all isolates caused significant sunn pest mortality varying between 24 and 100% 12 days after inoculation. There were significant differences between mortality, depending on the date of fungal application. Adult sunn pests treated with B. bassiana at sublethal concentrations caused significantly less damage to wheat leaves than sunn pests in the control. The number of eggs laid by the sunn pest was significantly fewer when wheat plots in plastic greenhouse and field cages were infested with adult sunn pests treated at sublethal concentrations, compared with sunn pests in control plots. Results show that sublethal dosages of B. bassiana reduced sunn pest feeding and fecundity. Applying B. bassiana in sunn pest overwintering sites minimizes the pest populations, which would move to wheat fields in spring.
(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): Mustapha El Bouhssini, Bruce L. Parker

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.
	Eurygaster integriceps	Wheat (Triticum)
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Eurygaster integriceps