Development of a bioassay method for the selection of entomopathogenic fungi virulent to the desert locust, <i>Schistocerca gregaria</i> (Forskål)

Prior, C.; Carey, M.; Abraham, Y. J.; Moore, D.; Bateman, Roy

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.1995.tb01337.x

Cited by 50 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…During the nymphal stages, all locusts were reared either in solitary or crowded culture according to the methods described by Roessingh et al (19). The bioassay used adult locusts approximately one or two days after f ledging and followed a standard procedure, as outlined in Prior et al (20). In brief, 41 solitaria and 45 gregaria locusts were inoculated topically with 2 l of an oil suspension of M. anispoliae var.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with crowds: Density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts

Wilson

Thomas

Blanford

et al. 2002

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

281

235

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Parasite transmission generally exhibits some form of positive density dependence. Thus, as population density increases, so too does the per capita risk of becoming infected. Under such circumstances, natural selection should favor individuals that use cues associated with population density to determine the optimal allocation of resources to disease resistance mechanisms. As a consequence, individuals experiencing crowded conditions are predicted to be more resistant to parasites and pathogens than those experiencing low-density conditions. This phenomenon (termed ''density-dependent prophylaxis'') [Wilson, K. & Reeson, A. F. (1998) Ecol. Entomol. 23, 100 -101] is predicted to be particularly prevalent in outbreak pest species and in species exhibiting density-dependent phase polyphenism, such as the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Here we show that, as predicted, desert locusts reared under crowded conditions are significantly more resistant than solitary locusts to the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum, a key natural disease of acridids and an important agent in locust and grasshopper biocontrol. Moreover, enhanced pathogen resistance in crowded locusts is associated with elevated antimicrobial activity, but not with any difference in thermal preferences or behavioral fever response. These results have implications for understanding the development and biocontrol of locust plagues.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with crowds: Density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts

Wilson

Thomas

Blanford

et al. 2002

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

281

235

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“…Suspensions were vortexed for 2 min, filtered through four layers of sterile muslin and adjusted to 1)10 5 conidia/ml according to the method by Prior, Carey, Abraham, Moore, and Bateman (1995) after cell counting in a Neubauer haemocytometer. The viability of the conidia from all isolates used in the tests was determined after 24 h, as described by Lane, Humphreys, Thompson, and Trinci (1988).…”

Section: Pathogenicity Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entomopathogenic fungi from Argentina for the control ofSchistocerca cancellata(Orthoptera: Acrididae) nymphs: fungal pathogenicity and enzyme activity

Pelizza

Elíades²,

Scorsetti³

et al. 2012

Biocontrol Science and Technology

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The South American locust Schistocerca cancellata (Serville) was the most serious agricultural pest in Argentina during the first half of the last century and remains as a threat when preventive control measures are relaxed in the outbreak area. In this study, we analysed in the laboratory, the effectiveness of 26 fungal strains (isolated from both insects and soil collected in Argentina) for S. cancellata control and determined the relationship between the chitinase, protease and lipase levels in these fungi and their insecticidal activities. We observed that Beauveria bassiana (isolate LPSC 1067) caused the highest mortality (9091.03%), the highest values of chitinolytic, proteolytic and lipolytic activity were 6.1390.05, 2.5690.11 and 2.3390.47, respectively, and the lowest median lethal time was 5.96 days. This is the first time that a wide variability in chitinase, protease and lipase activity as well as in virulence has been reported in a representative sample of different entomopathogenic fungal strains from Argentina.

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“…Considering the small size of tick development stages, and difficulty in targeting them on the cattle surface, only few conidia are likely to attach to the target; thus there is a need to identify highly virulent isolates. In studies with Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål), Prior et al (1995), using M. anisopliae var. acridum, calculated that a dose of 500-5000 conidia/insect caused 95% mortality in 6-7 days.…”

Section: Virulencementioning

confidence: 99%

Topically applied myco-acaricides for the control of cattle ticks: overcoming the challenges

Polar¹,

Moore

Kairo

et al. 2008

Exp Appl Acarol

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In the absence of commercially viable and environmentally friendly options, the management of cattle ticks is heavily dependent on the use of chemical acaricides. Due to recent advances in production, formulation and application technology, commercial fungus-based biological pesticides (myco-insecticides, myco-acaricides) are becoming increasingly popular for the control of plant pests; however, they have not been used against animal ectoparasites. The literature clearly demonstrates that entomopathogenic fungi are pathogenic to ticks under laboratory conditions. Pasture applications have also shown promise while experiments on topical application have had variable results. These results suggest that major research hurdles still exist especially for the latter. Although literature on ticks and their interactions with entomopathogenic fungi exists, there is not a clear understanding on how this can be influenced by the microenvironment of the cattle skin surface. This paper critically reviews pathogen, tick target and host skin microenvironmental factors that potentially affect pathogenicity of the applied entomopathogen. Factors influencing the route of infection for topically applied myco-acaricides are also reviewed. Major researchable constraints and recommendations are identified and prioritized. In particular, there is the need for basic studies to understand the interaction of entomopathogenic fungi with the components of the skin microenvironment, to identify suitable strains, and to develop improved formulations to overcome the various challenges.

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Development of a bioassay method for the selection of entomopathogenic fungi virulent to the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål)

Cited by 50 publications

References 8 publications

Coping with crowds: Density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts

Coping with crowds: Density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts

Entomopathogenic fungi from Argentina for the control ofSchistocerca cancellata(Orthoptera: Acrididae) nymphs: fungal pathogenicity and enzyme activity

Topically applied myco-acaricides for the control of cattle ticks: overcoming the challenges

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