Environmental Entomology (2000) 29, 126-131

W. De La Rosa, H.R. Segura, J.F. Barrera and T. Williams (2000)
Laboratory evaluation of the impact of entomopathogenic fungi on Prorops nasuta (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a parasitoid of the coffee berry borer
Environmental Entomology 29 (1), 126-131
Abstract: The entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and the bethylid parasitoid Prorops nasuta Waterston are natural enemies of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), and are considered valuable biocontrol agents in the coffee-growing regions of Central and South America. Laboratory evaluations were made on the impact of three isolates of each fungus on adult P. nasuta. These isolates were selected because of their high virulence toward H. hampei in previous studies. B. bassiana isolate Bb25 and M. anisopliae isolate Ma4 caused the lowest infection levels in P. nasuta with LC50 values of 8.31 x 106 and 4.08 x 106 spores per milliliter, respectively, by direct inoculation. Spore suspensions of each of these isolates were applied to coffee berry borer infested coffee berries. P. nasuta adult females were allowed to search and parasitize hosts within the treated berries. Despite the high virulence of these fungi to P. nasuta, neither pathogen significantly affected the predatory or parasitic capacity of P. nasuta, indicating that these isolates may be compatible with the action of the parasitoid under field conditions provided that pathogen applications and parasitoid liberations are timed not to coincide.
(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): Trevor Williams, Juan F. Barrera

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
environment - cropping system/rotation
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Hypothenemus hampei
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Hypothenemus hampei	Coffee (Coffea)
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Hypothenemus hampei	Coffee (Coffea)
Prorops nasuta (parasitoid)	Hypothenemus hampei	Coffee (Coffea)