Virulence of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae using soybean oil formulation for control of the cotton stainer bug, Dysdercus peruvianus

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 27; no. 10; pp. 2297 - 2303
• Main Authors: Santi, Lucélia, e Silva, Lucas André Dedavid, da Silva, Walter Orlando Beys, Corrêa, Ana Paula Folmer, Rangel, Drauzio Eduardo Naretto, Carlini, Célia Regina, Schrank, Augusto, Vainstein, Marilene Henning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adults; Agricultural biotechnology; Applied Microbiology; Arthropods; Bioassays; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cotton; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Insect control; Insecticides; Insects; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Mortality; Original Paper; Pest control; Pesticides; Pests; Rice; Scanning electron microscopy; Seeds; Soybean oil; Soybeans; Studies; Vegetable oils; Virulence; Brazil; Soybean oil formulation; Substrate reuse; Biological control; Entomopathogen; Insecta; Virulence; Dysdercus peruvianus; Heteroptera; Fungi; Substrate; Metarhizium anisopliae; Arthropoda; Formulation; Pyrrhocoridae; Fungi Imperfecti; Invertebrata; Soybean oil; Dysdercus
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-011-0695-5

The cotton stainer bug Dysdercus peruvianus (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) is an insect pest that causes heavy losses in cotton plantations. The need to reduce the use of insecticides for control of this pest has increased steadily, and Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) could be an important biopesticide candidate to control this pest. The effect of M. anisopliae on D. peruvianus nymphs and adults using formulations with soybean oil and Agral ® was evaluated. Formulation using 10% soybean oil added to 10 8 conidia mL −1 (grown on used and reused rice) was the most effective for nymph and adult, causing 100% mortality 6 and 7 days after exposure, respectively. The SEM analysis of infected insects showed that M. anisopliae conidia were able to adhere anywhere on the exoskeleton, but were more abundant between the joints. Using the same rice for two batches of growth may be an option for improving commercial conidial production of M. anisopliae and may reduce overall costs. Its effect on D. peruvianus adults opens a new possibility for using this fungus as an alternative to chemical pesticides and the use of M. anisopliae in association with integrate pest management.