Entomopathogenic fungi for mosquito control: A review

Abstract

Fungal diseases in insects are common and widespread and can decimate their populations in spectacular epizootics. Virtually all insect orders are susceptible to fungal diseases, including Dipterans. Fungal pathogens such as Lagenidium, Coelomomyces and Culicinomyces are known to affect mosquito populations, and have been studied extensively. There are, however, many other fungi that infect and kill mosquitoes at the larval and/or adult stage. The discovery, in 1977, of the selective mosquito-pathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner israelensis (Bti) curtailed widespread interest in the search for other suitable biological control agents. In recent years interest in mosquito-killing fungi is reviving, mainly due to continuous and increasing levels of insecticide resistance and increasing global risk of mosquito-borne diseases. This review presents an update of published data on mosquito-pathogenic fungi and mosquito-pathogen interactions, covering 13 different fungal genera. Notwithstanding the potential of many fungi as mosquito control agents, only a handful have been commercialized and are marketed for use in abatement programs. We argue that entomopathogenic fungi, both new and existing ones with renewed/improved efficacies may contribute to an expansion of the limited arsenal of effective mosquito control tools, and that they may contribute in a significant and sustainable manner to the control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and filariasis.

Saprolegniaceae identified on amphibian eggs throughout the Pacific Northwest, USA, by internal transcribed spacer sequences and phylogenetic analysis

“…Czeczuga et al (1998) reported L. caudata de Bary from eggs of five amphibians when they were reared in water from five different wetlands. Leptolegnia caudata and other members of the genus are pathogenic on mosquito larvae (Bisht et al 1996, Scholte et al 2004. Although not sampled specifically, mosquitoes were abundant at many of our sites.…”

Identifying genomic changes associated with insecticide resistance in the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti by deep targeted sequencing

“…Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, the primary insecticide family used against adult mosquitoes, is particularly worrying in the context of the re-emergence of dengue and other arboviruses worldwide (Bhatt et al 2013). Although attempts are made to develop new insecticides or alternative mosquito control strategies (Scholte et al 2004;Lacey 2007;Hoffmann et al 2011;Walker et al 2011;Harris et al 2012), their large-scale implementation in tropical regions will require at least a decade. Until this, characterizing molecular mechanisms underlying resistance is crucial for tracking down resistance alleles and improving resistance management strategies .…”

Morpho-Molecular Characterization and Virulence Determination of Entomopathogenic Fungal Isolates Native to Indian Subcontinent

“…The literature is replete with studies employing potential of ENPFs (e.g., Entomophthora muscae, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae etc.) for insect control [2][3][4][5]. Most of these studies reports use of ENPFs for control of agricultural pests [2,3].…”

“…Most of these studies reports use of ENPFs for control of agricultural pests [2,3]. However, some other studies depict ENPF activity against pests of vector significance, such as mosquitoes and house fly [4,5].…”