Journal of Economic Entomology (2020) 113, 660-668

Abdullah Mohamed Mkiga, Samira Abuelgasim Mohamed, Hannalene du Plessis, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Komivi Senyo Akutse and Sunday Ekesi (2020)
Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana: pathogenicity, horizontal transmission, and their effects on reproductive potential of Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Journal of Economic Entomology 113 (2), 660-668
Abstract: The polyphagous moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is among the major constraints to the horticultural industry in East Africa. In a search of sustainable control methods, the pathogenicity of the dry conidia of 17 Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) and five Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) (Vuill.) isolates were tested against T. leucotreta moths. The conidial uptake by a single moth, horizontal transmission, and effect of fungal inoculant on egg-laying and hatchability for the pest were also assessed. The findings from this study showed that tested fungi were virulent to the moths, with 12 isolates causing mortality that ranged between 58.8 and 94.2% for M. anisopliae and three isolates between 57.6 and 84.6% for B. bassiana. The entomopathogenic fungi isolates, M. anisopliae ICIPE 69 and B. bassiana ICIPE 279 were highly virulent with low lethal times to 50% mortality (LT₅₀) of 3.81 and 5.13 d, respectively. The isolate, ICIPE 69 conidia acquisition by a single moth were approximately 4.58 × 10⁶ and 3.51 × 10⁶ for males and females, respectively. The lowest survival rate (3.33 %) caused by inoculum transmission was recorded in donor males compared to 16.67% in recipient males. Fecundity was reduced by 33.6 and 25.9% for donor and recipient females, respectively. The pest can acquire conidia from the treated substrate and transmission is then possible between adults. ICIPE 69 is virulent and reduces the reproduction potential of the pest after transmission. The findings are discussed in the prospects of microbial control of this pest using an autodissemination technique.
(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): Sunday Ekesi

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

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Thaumatotibia leucotreta
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Thaumatotibia leucotreta
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Thaumatotibia leucotreta