Virulence of Different Entomopathogenic Fungi Species and Strains against the Hazel Longhorn Beetle Oberea linearis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The aim of this study was to investigate alternative methods to control longhorn beetle (Oberea linearis) infestations in walnut orchards. Wild isolates of entomopathogenic fungi obtained from soil samples from Greece and Cyprus were tested for their efficacy against adults and larvae of O. linearis...

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Published inApplied sciences Vol. 14; no. 11; p. 4761
Main Authors Mantzoukas, Spiridon, Lagogiannis, Ioannis, Kitsiou, Foteini, Eliopoulos, Panagiotis A, Petrakis, Panagiotis
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2024
Subjects
Adults
Antifungal agents
beetle pests
Beetles
biological control
Eggs
entomopathogens
Fungi
Insects
Pest control
walnut tree
wood borers
Greece
United Kingdom
Germany
Crete
Turkey
United States > US
Europe
Italy
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Summary:The aim of this study was to investigate alternative methods to control longhorn beetle (Oberea linearis) infestations in walnut orchards. Wild isolates of entomopathogenic fungi obtained from soil samples from Greece and Cyprus were tested for their efficacy against adults and larvae of O. linearis. Insect populations were acquired from a heavily infested walnut orchard and individuals were placed in Petri dishes provided with ground walnut wood for larvae and fresh leaves for adults. The tested insects were subjected to 16 different wild isolates from the genera Beauveria, Cordyceps, Metarhizium, and Purpureocillium, where 108 conidia/mL were applied by spraying, and insects were monitored daily for 16 days. The results showed that all the tested fungi resulted in a mortality rate of 66–100%, with Cordyceps fumosorosea exhibiting the highest virulence, causing complete mortality to both larvae and adults. These findings suggest that the management of O. linearis, which has traditionally relied on chemical applications, could transition to an organic approach by utilizing entomopathogenic fungi.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app14114761