Journal of Entomological Science (2005) 40, 167-177

Wee L. Yee and Lawrence A. Lacey (2005)
Mortality of different life stages of Rhagoletis indifferens (Diptera: Tephritidae) exposed to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae
Journal of Entomological Science 40 (2), 167-177
Abstract: Effects of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin on the mortality of different life stages of the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), were determined in laboratory tests. When teneral adults were exposed to fungal spores mixed in soil (7.63 x 10⁵ and 1.61 x 10⁶ spores/g) or applied to the surface of soil (1.14 x 10⁶ and 2.28 x 10⁶ spores/cm²) with 13 to 30% moisture, adult emergence was not reduced, but 14.9 to 68.0% of emerging adults were infected at death. When adult flies were exposed to various concentrations of dry spores inside vials, 15 mg (4.59 x 10⁸ spores/10 flies) was the lowest needed for 100% mortality at 7 d post exposure, and resulted in 5.96 x 10⁶ spores adhering to each fly. Females exposed to 1.80 mg (5.51 x 10⁷ spores/10 flies) laid as many eggs as control females between 0 and 3 d post exposure, but due to mortality infected flies laid fewer eggs between 3 and 7 d. Third-instar larvae exposed to treated soil (9.63 x 10⁴ to 4.81 x 10⁶ spores/cm²) with 20% moisture were not infected.
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Database assignments for author(s): Wee L. Yee, Lawrence A. Lacey

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rhagoletis indifferens
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Rhagoletis indifferens