In vivo selection of entomopathogenic fungal isolates for control of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

Publication date: November 2015 Source:Biological Control, Volume 90 Author(s): N. Orduño-Cruz , A.W. Guzmán-Franco , E. Rodríguez-Leyva , R. Alatorre-Rosas , H. González-Hernández , G. Mora-Aguilera The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is an important pest of citrus, which transmits the disease Huanglongbing with devastating effects on the citrus industry around the world. Control relies mainly on synthetic pesticides, but biological control using entomopathogenic fungi may provide an alternative strategy. Based on previous in vitro experiments, we selected four isolates, one from each of the species Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Isaria fumosorosea and Hirstella citriformis. With these isolates, we carried out in vivo experiments to select an isolate based on its infection ability against adult D. citri. Using only H. citriformis isolates, we evaluated the mortality in D. citri achieved using blastospores. As a potential cause of the low mortality achieved with H. citriformis, we evaluated the effect of inoculum carrier (Tween 80 or distilled water) on conidial germination. We also compared the pathogenicity of dry conidia (not suspended in 0.03% Tween 80) of H. citriformis and M. anisopliae against adult D. citri. Using conidial suspensions, all isolates caused mortalities above 80% in adult D. citri cohorts, except H. citriformis, which caused a maximum of 40% mortality. The mortality caused by blastospore suspensions of H. citriformis, ...

Source: Biological Control - June 10, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research