This research, under laboratory condition, evaluated the efficiency of different strains of entomopatogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to control leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Soldiers and workers were inoculated with suspensions containing 1.0x107, 1.0x108, 1.0x109 and 1.0x1010 con mL-1 and maintained in B.O.D, at 25±1°C, 70% RH and 12 hours of photophase, without food. The mortality was evaluated daily, with 15 days after inoculation. Experimental design was entirely random. The sporulation data were submitted to the analysis of variance and the LT50 values (in days) were obtained through the Probit analysis. All strains of B. bassiana were pathogenic, being workers more susceptible than soldiers. The strains IBCB 21 and IBCB 07 caused high percentages of confirmed mortality showing potential for use in the control of A. sexdens rubropilosa. Strain IBCB 21 was more virulent for workers, whereas isolated IBCB 07 was more virulent for soldiers. Both isolates presented no significant difference among tested concentrations.
This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae on leaf-cutting ants Atta sexdens rubropilosa, under laboratory conditions. It was inoculated suspensions containing different concentrations of conidia on specimens of soldiers and workers, kept under controlled conditions. The mortality was verified daily until 15 days after inoculation. The experimental delineation was entirely random. Sporulation data were submitted to variance analysis and the average of the treatments were compared to each other by the Scott-Knott test. Probit analysis was performed to obtain the values of LT50 (in days). All isolates were pathogenic to A. sexdens rubropilosa, being more virulent for workers than for soldiers. Isolates IBCB 348, IBCB 410 and IBCB 425 were the most efficient in the mortality of the ants. Isolates IBCB 425 and UFGD 03 caused high percentages of confirmed mortality. The results showed that the tested isolates have the potential for using them as control agents of A. sexdens rubropilosa.
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