Insects (2022) 13 (10 - 885)

Ciprian George Fora, Nicusor Boja, Mihaela Moatär, Ferenc Tóth and Adalbert Balog (2022)
Effect of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Cordycipitaceae), on the bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), under field conditions
Insects 13 (10 - 885)
Abstract: The spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), attack progression (adult and larval galleries) and parental and offspring mortality rate were assessed in managed forests of the Poiana Rusca and Bihor Mountains, along with Western Romanian Carpathians using fungal (Beauveria bassiana) treatments. The results show that the effect of B. bassiana on adult (maternal) gallery length was similar to the untreated variant and was less effective than the synthetic insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin applied at a dose of 50 g/L. Additionally, its effect on the mean larval gallery number per maternal gallery was low. B. bassiana did not have a significant influence on the attack progression. Significant correlations between log diameter and I. typographus attack progression were detected; such differences were higher than the effect of any treatment. Altogether, abiotic (low humidity, high temperature) and biotic factors (log diameter) influenced the bark beetles' attack progression and reduced the entomopathogenic fungal effects. Considering the efficacy of the B. bassiana treatment on logs infested with I. typographus, the results showed that parents and offspring were infected, but even if the fungal treatment was applied in high concentrations, the mortality rate remained relatively low. Further research is necessary to test if different B. bassiana strains and their commercially recommended concentrations might be more effective under dry and warm climate conditions, respectively.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
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Database assignments for author(s): Adalbert Balog

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ips typographus	Spruce (Picea)	Romania
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Ips typographus	Spruce (Picea)	Romania