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Research article2023Peer reviewedOpen access

Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) isolates against life stages of Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Hintènou, Micheline V.; Omoloye, Adebayo A.; Douro Kpindou, Ouorou K.; Karlsson, Miriam Frida; Djouaka, Rousseau; Bokonon-Ganta, Aimé H.; Tamȯ, Manuele

Abstract

Background

Entomopathogenic fungi are primary pathogens that naturally afect insect pests by suppressing their populations and considered as an ecofriendly agents. The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro activity of diferent isolates of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against the development of larval stages of the Cucurbit fruit fy, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Results 

Larval mortality was signifcantly high with B. bassiana isolate Bb337 (5.82–21.70%) and with the lowest in M. anisopliae isolate MaD (1.49–6.33%). Pupal mortality rate was comparatively higher with more than 50%. The cadavers of all host instars produced conidia (sporulation). Sporulated dead larvae were signifcantly higher in Bb337 (61.10%) than at the least in MaD (18.60%) at 105 conidia/ml. At 108 conidia/ml, MaD induced the highest pupal cadavers with mycosis (32.42%). Regardless of applied fungal species, host instars mortality signifcantly increased with increasing concentration of B. bassiana isolates, suggesting a concentration-dependent response of Z. cucurbitae.

Conclusion

The tested isolates demonstrated their pathogenicity through vertical transmission of mycosis from one instar to another, regardless of the concentrations used.

Keywords

Cucurbit fruit fly; Zeugodacus cucurbitae; Entomopathogenic fungi; Metarhizium anisopliae; Beauveria bassiana

Published in

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control
2023, Volume: 33, number: 1, article number: 45

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG2 Zero hunger
    SDG15 Life on land

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Horticulture

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-023-00693-0

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/126403