Insects (2022) 13 (1 - 93)

Jason Lee Furuie, Andressa Katiski da Costa Stuart, Morgana Ferreira Voidaleski, Maria Aparecida Cassilha Zawadneak and Ida Chapaval Pimentel (2022)
Isolation of Beauveria strains and their potential as control agents for Lema bilineata Germar (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Insects 13 (1 - 93)
Abstract: Lema bilineata Germar (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was recently reported to damage Physalis peruviana crops in Brazil. Given the potential for inflicting damage on other Solanaceae species and the lack of alternatives for controlling this pest, we assessed the pathogenicity of 15 Beauveria isolates against L. bilineata adults in vitro. In addition, three of these isolates were tested for their ovicidal effect against L. bilineata eggs. Fungal strains were isolated from mummified corpses of L. bilineata collected in a non-commercial field in Paraná, Brazil. The isolates were identified as Beauveria bassiana using molecular markers. Lema bilineata adults were susceptible to conidial suspensions of all these isolates at a concentration of 10⁸ conidia mL^-1. Deaths caused by fungal extrusion were confirmed. Three strains were found to be more virulent against L. bilineata adults and showed ovicidal effects. This is the first study on entomopathogenic fungi isolated from dead insects collected from P. peruviana crops and tested against L. bilineata carried out in Brazil. The results obtained in the laboratory indicate the high potential of the use of three B. bassiana strains against L. bilineata as a biocontrol agent.
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Database assignments for author(s): Maria Aparecida Cassilha Zawadneak

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lema bilineata	Physalis (crop)	Brazil (south)
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Lema bilineata	Physalis (crop)	Brazil (south)