Journal of Pest Science (2007) 80, 235-239

M.K. Er, H. Tunaz and A. Gökçe (2007)
Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi to Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Schiff.) (Lepidoptera: Thaumatopoeidae) larvae in laboratory conditions
Journal of Pest Science 80 (4), 235-239
Abstract: Pathogenicity of 13 strains of entomopathogenic fungi belonging to genera Paecilomyces, Tolypocladium, Beauveria, Metarhizium, and Lecanicillium (=Verticillium) was evaluated on fourth instar larvae of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Schiff.) (Lep.: Thaumatopoeidae). Larvae were treated individually by dipping into conidial suspension with the concentration of 1.0 × 10⁵ conidia ml⁻¹. All the tested isolates resulted in various levels of mortality (16-100%), and eleven of them were able to grow and sporulate on dead larvae. Mortality caused by three isolates of P. fumosoroseus, one isolate of Beauveria bassiana and one isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae were significantly higher than that of the other treatments. Three isolates of P. fumosoroseus, one isolate of P. farinosus, and one isolate of M. anisopliae showed mycelial growth and sporulation on significantly more cadavers compared to other treatments. Dose-mortality test was conducted with P. fumosoroseus (isolate no: 2679), which appeared to be the most promising isolate among the tested fungi, by spraying five concentrations of its conidia (1.0 × 10⁶, 1.5 × 10⁶, 7.5 × 10⁶, 1.0 × 10⁷ and 1.5 × 10⁷ conidia ml⁻¹). The estimation of the LC₅₀ (95% confidence limits) was 3.4 × 10⁶ (9.3 × 10⁵ − 6.9 × 10⁶) conidia ml⁻¹. This study showed that P. fumosoroseus (isolate no: 2679) could be a good candidate as a microbial control agent against T. pityocampa in forest environment.
(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): Mehmet Kubilay Er, Ayhan Gökçe

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.
	Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Cordyceps fumosorosea (entomopathogen)	Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Thaumetopoea pityocampa