Diversity of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Argane Forest Soil and Their Potential to Manage Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata)

Abstract

Abstract:The present study forms a part of biological control against the medfly (Ceratitis capitata) and seeks to isolate and determine the diversity of the medfly-associated entomopathogenic fungi in soil samples collected from Argane (Argania spinosa) forest, in different localities of Souss-Massa region. Search and isolation of the indigenous populations of Ceratitis capitata entomopathogenic fungi was carried out by using larvae of this pest as baits. After trapping, isolation and identification of fungal isolates, a pathogenicity test was used to select fungal strains that have significant virulence potential against the Mediterranean fruit fly. The degree of virulence was estimated by the ability of the fungus to induce the disease and/or the death in the insect and also by calculating the lethal time 50 (LT50). The obtained results were clearly demonstrated the sensitivity of medfly to tested fungal strains and particularly to strains of Fusarium sp., Aspergillus niger and Scopulariopsis sp. that have shown high mortality rates (more than 84%) and to Trichoderma harzianum, Scedosporium sp., Epicoccum sp. and Ulocladium sp. with more than 70% mortality for the two tested concentrations. Furthermore these strains showed short LT 50 (less than 83 hours). All these results confirm the presence of entomopathogenic fungi of Ceratitis capitata in Argane soil, and prove the potential of entomopathogenic fungi for biocontrol of the Mediterranean fruit fly under laboratory conditions.

The high diversity of Scedosporium and Lomentospora species and their prevalence in human-disturbed areas in Taiwan

“…As opposed to previous studies, in which no Scedosporium and Lomentospora species were isolated from the natural/pristine areas (35, 36). The only three cases of recovering Scedosporium from natural regions were samples from Argane forests in Souss-Massa, forests in Maamoura, and beaches in Casablanca, all in Morocco (39, 73, 74). These places, however, appeared to exhibit anthropogenic activities, especially in the highly visited Casablanca beach; it may explain the presence of Scedosporium species in these regions.…”

Scedosporium species in soils from various biomes in Northwestern Morocco

“…Likewise, Scedosporium spp. represented 3.4% of fungi that were recovered in soil samples collected from Argane forests in Souss-Massa region [26]. Here we conducted the first large-scale study about the ecology of Scedosporium species in Africa, by the analysis of a large number of soil samples representing various biomes in Northern Morocco.…”

“…However, such studies have never been performed in Africa, and to the best of our knowledge, only sporadic isolations of Scedosporium sp. have been reported until now in Nigerian soils [24], and in Morocco, from the sand of two beaches in Casablanca [25] and recently from soil samples collected from Argane (Argania spinosa) forests in different localities of Souss-Massa region [26]. Here we report the results of an environmental study performed in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Fez-Meknes regions, two of the twelve administrative divisions of Morocco, which comprise four of the ten major cities of the country.…”

Pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. isolates against the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and their responses to ultraviolet‐B radiation and water stress

“…Entomopathogenic isolates used during this study were obtained from an entomopathogenic collection of the LBMPV. The collection was created during previous experimentation which isolated indigenous medfly EPF from argan [ Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels (Sapotaceae)] forest soil using medfly pupae as bait (Hallouti et al, 2017).…”