Title: Entomopathogens associated with African and Mauritian Scarabaeidae affecting sugarcane.
Abstract: A multi-party consortium, funded under the EU-Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement, was established in 2010 for research and development of bioinsecticides against white grubs (Scarabaeidae) affecting sugarcane. By January 2012, the Insect Pathogen Quarantine Facility of ARC-Small Grain Institute received and processed a total of 1,549 insect cadavers shipped from within South Africa (South African Sugarcane Research Institute), Swaziland (Swaziland Sugar Association), Tanzania (Tanganyika Plantation Company), Malawi (Sugar Corporation of Malawi), Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station) and Mauritius (Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute). These samples included 1,320 scarab cadavers (larvae and adults), 155 Galleria mellonella and 57 Chilo sacchariphagus larval cadavers used as bait (indirect) from soil-trapping systems; 17 cadavers were of unknown identity. Four species of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated, viz. Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Beauveria brongniartii and Lecanicillium lecanii. In addition, 21 white grub cadavers collected in Tanzania were infected with Ophiocordyceps sp. and one cadaver with an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema sp. Overall the most prevalent fungi isolated directly from the Scarabaeidae were M. anisopliae (59%) and B. bassiana (35%). A total of 36 Metarhizium and five Beauveria cultures were established from the soil-trapped cadavers. Notably, the South African material yielded mainly Beauveria, whereas cadavers from the other countries were infected primarily by Metarhizium. A large number of bacteria (557) were isolated, although the entomopathogenic status of these isolates remains unknown. Research on the fungal isolates has progressed to screening for virulence against a substitute coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor, and preliminary results are discussed.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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