Effects on Young American Kestrels ( Falco sparverius ) Exposed to Beauveria bassiana Bioinsecticide

Althouse, C. M.; Petersen, Brett E.; McEwen, Lowell C.

doi:10.1007/s001289900507

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Respiratory distress was reported in test mammals inhaling B. bassiana conidia (Müller-Kögler, 1967), while weight loss and some mortality was reported in rats after oral exposure to conidia and mycelium, but details of exposure were not given (Schaerffenberg, 1968). Young kestrels fed B. bassiana GHA conidia suffered no demonstrable adverse effects (Althouse et al, 1997). Disease has been described in rare cases in exposed ectotherms, mainly reptiles and amphibians.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Althouse et al (1997) found that American kestrels that ingested spores of one isolate of B. bassiana at 5 × 10 6 spores/g body weight (simulating encounter under typical field application rates) developed no gross pathological lesions or alterations of behavior. Viable spores have been reported from avian feces , indicating a need for histological examination of exposed birds.…”

Section: Effects Of Mycoinsecticides On Birds 2147mentioning

confidence: 98%

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ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND GROWTH OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED INSECTS OR CONIDIA OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum AND Beauveria bassiana , FROM MADAGASCAR AND NORTH AMERICA

Johnson

Smits²,

Jaronski³

et al. 2002

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A

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Isolates of two fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum) from Madagascar are being developed for control of grasshoppers and locusts, as part of a search for alternatives to environmentally detrimental chemical insecticides. The probable effects of these entomopathogens on nontarget species must be determined before operational use. Birds may become exposed to these fungi either directly, by consuming spores deposited on their food items, or secondarily, by consuming grasshoppers or locusts that have died from infection by these biocontrol agents. This article presents the results of per os challenge from fungus-infected food items. Male and female ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were exposed at 4 d of age and again at 9 d of age to challenge treatments, or 2 control treatments (18 male and 18 female birds per treatment group). Pheasants were weighed at 9, 17, and 25 d of age, tarsal length was measured at 25 d of age, and they were observed daily for signs of adverse effects of the experimental treatments. At the time of euthanasia (25 d of age), 2 or 3 randomly selected birds from each of the groups exposed to infected grasshoppers, plus the 2 control groups, underwent complete necropsies and histopathological examination of 16 tissues from each bird. Results show that in both sexes, weight gain at both 17 and 25 d was not significantly different between challenge groups and control groups. Tarsal length at 25 d of age, an indication of structural growth, was also not markedly different among challenged and control groups. Histopathological changes were generally undetectable, mild, or moderate, and not consistently associated with any treatment. Based on these findings, there is little indication that birds are susceptible to detrimental health effects from direct or secondary exposure to the two entomopathogenic fungi studied.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Mycoinsecticides On Birds 2147mentioning

confidence: 98%

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND GROWTH OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED INSECTS OR CONIDIA OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum AND Beauveria bassiana , FROM MADAGASCAR AND NORTH AMERICA

Johnson

Smits²,

Jaronski³

et al. 2002

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A

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“…Experimental studies with B. bassiana indicate the potential for damage to non-target insects, such as pollinators (Goettel and Johnson, 1992) and predaceous beetles (Pingal and Lewis, 1996). The mycotoxin oosporein, isolated from B. bassiana (Vining et al, 1962), is potentially toxic to birds, yet B. bassiana will not grow at avian body temperatures, which generally exceed 38 C. Althouse et al (1997) found that American kestrels ingesting B. bassiana spores at 5 ϫ 10 6 spores per g body weight (simulating encounter under typical field application rates) developed no gross pathological lesions or alterations of behavior. Little evidence of lethal impacts of entomopathogens on homeothermic vertebrates has been reported, although activity of the mycotoxin beauvericin on mammalian tissue has been described (Nakajyo et al, 1987).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathological and Physiological Responses of Ring-Necked Pheasant Chicks Following Dietary Exposure to the Fungus Metarhizium Flavoviride, a Biocontrol Agent for Locusts in Africa

Smits

Johnson

Lomer

1999

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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Metarhizium flavoviride, a fungal pathogen of grasshoppers and locusts, appears to be an effective, non-chemical insecticide (mycoinsecticide) for control of grasshoppers and locusts. This study, conducted during June and July, 1997, examined the pathogenic potential of this entomopathogenic fungus to non-target avian species that encounter infected insect prey items or contaminated food sources. Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) chicks were exposed to one of three diets, (spore-coated feed, infected insects, or untreated feed), either from 4 to 9 days of age, or, from 35 to 40 days of age. Necropsies were conducted on birds 10 days and 46 days old, respectively. Neither consumption of infected insects, nor of spore-coated feed, resulted in pathological changes, or significant changes in weight, growth rate, behavior, or mortality rate. Histological examination of organs indicated either no changes related to treatment, or normal tissue responses to antigenic challenge.

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“…Similarly, toxicity assessments of different strains of EPF have been carried out on several bird species, where birds were reared on EPF-infected insects or directly fed with fungal spores deposited in their feeds. For instance, the ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus were exposed to B. bassiana conidia ( Johnson et al, 2002 ), chickens were fed B. brongniartii -infected white grubs, and American sparrowhawks, Falco sparverius Linnaeus were equally fed spores of B. bassiana ( Althouse et al, 1997 ). In the aforementioned studies, histopathological changes were not reported in any of the treated birds, whereas no significant differences were reported among the control and treated samples with regard to the growth, body mass, and survival of birds ( Zimmermann, 2007a ).…”

Section: Environmentally Safe Alternatives To Chemical Pesticidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Model Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Alternatives to Chemical Pesticides: Prospects, Challenges, and Insights for Next-Generation Sustainable Agriculture

et al. 2021

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In the past few decades, the control of pests and diseases of cultivated plants using natural and biological measures has drawn increasing attention in the quest to reduce the level of dependence on chemical products for agricultural production. The use of living organisms, predators, parasitoids, and microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, has proven to be a viable and sustainable pest management technique. Among the aforementioned, fungi, most importantly the insect-pathogenic species, have been in use for more than 150years. These include the most popular strains belonging to the genera Beauveria, Metarhizium, Isaria, Hirsutella, and Lecanicillium. Their application is usually through an inundative approach, which inherently involves exposure of the fungal spores to unfavorable humidity, temperature, and solar radiation conditions. These abiotic factors reduce the persistence and efficacy of these insect-pathogenic fungi. Despite these limitations, over 170 strains have been formulated as mycopesticides and are available for commercial use. In the last few decades, numerous studies have suggested that these species of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) offer far more benefits and have broader ecological functions than hitherto presumed. For instance, aside from their roles as insect killers, it has been well established that they also colonize various host plants and, hence, provide other benefits including plant pathogen antagonism and plant growth promotion and serve as sources of novel bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites, etc. In this light, the potential of EPF as alternatives or perhaps as supplements to chemical pesticides in plant protection is discussed in this review. The paper highlights the numerous benefits associated with endophytic fungal entomopathogen and host plant associations, the mechanisms involved in mediating plant defense against pests and pathogens, and the general limitations to the use of EPF in plant protection. A deeper understanding of these plant host-fungus-insect relationships could help unveil the hidden potentials of fungal endophytes, which would consequently increase the level of acceptance and adoption by users as an integral part of pest management programs and as a suitable alternative to chemical inputs toward sustainable crop production.

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Effects on Young American Kestrels ( Falco sparverius ) Exposed to Beauveria bassiana Bioinsecticide

Cited by 12 publications

References 5 publications

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND GROWTH OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED INSECTS OR CONIDIA OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum AND Beauveria bassiana , FROM MADAGASCAR AND NORTH AMERICA

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND GROWTH OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED INSECTS OR CONIDIA OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum AND Beauveria bassiana , FROM MADAGASCAR AND NORTH AMERICA

Pathological and Physiological Responses of Ring-Necked Pheasant Chicks Following Dietary Exposure to the Fungus Metarhizium Flavoviride, a Biocontrol Agent for Locusts in Africa

Model Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Alternatives to Chemical Pesticides: Prospects, Challenges, and Insights for Next-Generation Sustainable Agriculture

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