Susceptibility of Nasutitermes ehrhardti (Isoptera: Termitidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies

Abstract

The effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner on the termite Nasutitermes ehrhardti (Isoptera, Termitidae) were evaluated under laboratory conditions. From 55 Bt subspecies assayed in vivo under controlled conditions seven were found to be pathogenic in the subspecies yunnanensis, huazhongiensis, brasiliensis, colmeri and kurstaki (less than 72% of mortality), particularly sooncheon and roskildiensis (100% mortality at the seventh day after the bacteria application). The LC50 for subspecie sooncheon corresponded to 47x10 8 , 66.2x10 6 and 5.1x10 5 cells/ml, at the third, fifth and seventh day, respectively. For the subspecie roskildiensis the LC50 corresponded to 30.8x10 5 , 48.4x10 6 and 16.8x10 4 cells/ml, at the third, fifth and seventh day, respectively. The results show that the two most pathogenic subspecies effectively may be studied with regard to control the termite N. ehrhardti.

Two new Brazilian isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis toxic to Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/home/Neil_Crickmore/Bt). Cry proteins have already been described as toxic to several insect from Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Homoptera, and Malophaga orders (Zhong et al, 2000;De Maagd et al, 2001;Castilhos-Fortes et al 2002;Martins et al, 2004;Nazarian et al, 2009;López-Pazos et al, 2009) and also to nematodes (Marroquin et al, 2000;Jouzani et al, 2008).…”

Persistence of the pesticidalBacillus thuringiensisprotein expressed in Bt maize plant materials in two soils of the Central Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…No reports were found in the literature on the effects of 8t crop residues on mortality of white grub larvae (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae), which live and feed in the soil. Although MacIntosh et al (1990) and Saxena & Stotzky (200 I) reported that 8t maize protein had no detectable negative effects on mammals, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and earthworms, Castilhos-Fortes, Matsumura & Diehl (2002) reported that a number of 8t subspecies, including 8t subsp. kurstaki (the source of the 8t gene in 8t maize), were pathogenic to termites, which belong to Order Isoptera.…”

“…The persistence of Bt proteins in the soil could expose non-target insects to such proteins for extended periods of time. While Bt proteins CrylAb, CrylAc and Cry3Bb 1, in cotton, potato and maize, respectively, were reported to have no negative effects on' soil mites and nematodes and Collembola (Yu, Berry' & Croft, 1997;AI-deeb et al, 2003), exposure of the Bt protein CrylAb in 8t maize could cause adverse effects, such as reduced growth to earthworms and possible pathogenicity on termites (Castilhos-Fortes, Matsumura & Diehl, 2002). In view of such possibilities, the fate· of the Bt proteins in soils under different field conditions needs to be ascertained especially in South Africa where Bt maize is grown.…”

Bacillus and Biopesticides in Control of Phytonematodes

“…1.2), containing Cry proteins, encoded by the cry genes, with a wide division of classes and subclasses according to their insecticide activity (Höfte and Whiteley 1989), and presently classified according to the percent identity between Cry protein sequences Crickmore et al 1998;Crickmore 2014). These toxins present insecticidal activity to different insect orders, such as Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Isoptera, Orthoptera, Siphonaptera, and Thisanoptera (Feitelson et al 1992;Aranda et al 1996;Cavados et al 2001;Castilhos-Fortes et al 2002;Pinto et al 2003;De Maagd et al 2001 in addition to nematodes (Marroquin et al 2000;Jouzani et al 2008). Currently, 735 Cry proteins, 38 Cyt proteins, and 122 Vip proteins have been described in the B. thuringiensis database (Crickmore 2014).…”