Pest Management Science (2003) 59, 156-165

Helen Yeo, Judith K. Pell, Peter G. Alderson, Suzanne J. Clark and Barry J. Pye (2003)
Laboratory evaluation of temperature effects on the germination and growth of entomopathogenic fungi and on their pathogenicity to two aphid species
Pest Management Science 59 (2), 156-165
Abstract: As part of an approach to select potential mycoinsecticides for aphid biocontrol, we investigated the effects of temperature on the growth, germination and pathogenicity of some hyphomycete fungi. Commercially available mycoinsecticides (based on Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Verticillium lecanii (Zimmermann) Viegas) and other isolates of B bassiana, V lecanii, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown and Smith were evaluated. The rate of in vitro conidial germination of all isolates was slower at 10 and 15 °C than at 20 and 25 °C. Similarly, in vitro growth of most isolates was adversely affected at 10 and 15 °C. The greatest reduction at 10 °C in rates of conidial germination and colony growth, compared with other temperatures, was for M anisopliae isolates. Germination of V lecanii (isolate HRI 1.72) was fastest at 10 °C compared with the other fungi. It was also the most pathogenic of three isolates tested against Aphis fabae Scopoli and Myzus persicae Sulzer at 10, 18 and 23 °C. Generally, A fabae was more susceptible than M persicae to infection by the fungal isolates tested. A significant interaction between aphid species and temperature indicated that the pathogenic nature of an isolate was dependent not only on the target aphid species but also the temperature conditions of the bioassay. The series of studies, detailed above, allowed a temperature profile to be formed for the different isolates. Verticillium lecanii isolate HRI 1.72 (commercialised as Vertalec®) was the most promising isolate selected from results of the series of experiments. Temperature profiles in conjunction with infectivity assays can be useful in selecting appropriate isolates for a particular thermal 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

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Myzus persicae
	Aphis fabae
Akanthomyces muscarius (entomopathogen)	Myzus persicae
Akanthomyces muscarius (entomopathogen)	Aphis fabae