Fifty years of attempted biological control of termites – Analysis of a failure

Chouvenc, Thomas; Su, Nan‐Yao; Grace, J. Kenneth

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2011.06.015

Cited by 131 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…The study sheds some light on the capacity of the termite to survive in ecologies with diverse array of potentially harmful fungal species that may have varying levels of virulence (Mburu et al, 2009(Mburu et al, , 2011. This may account for failure to control termites using infective fungi during the last five decades (Chouvenc et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Comparison of Volatile Blends and Nucleotide Sequences of Two Beauveria Bassiana Isolates of Different Virulence and Repellency Towards the Termite Macrotermes Michealseni

2012

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Isolates of the fungus Beauveria bassiana have different levels of virulence and repellency against the termite Macrotermes michaelseni. In the present study, we compared the volatile profiles and gene sequences of two isolates of the fungus with different levels of virulence and repellence to the termite. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analyses showed quantitative and qualitative differences in the composition of volatiles of the two isolates. The repellencies of synthetic blends of 10 prominent components that mimicked the volatiles of each of the two isolates were significantly different. Subtractive bioassays showed that the repellency of each isolate was due to synergistic effects of a few constituents. As previously reported for isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae, some differences also were found in the nucleotide sequences of the two isolates of B. bassiana, suggesting a genetic basis for the observed intra-specific differences in their repellency and virulence against the termite.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Comparison of Volatile Blends and Nucleotide Sequences of Two Beauveria Bassiana Isolates of Different Virulence and Repellency Towards the Termite Macrotermes Michealseni

2012

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“…An extensive survey of the work accomplished in the field of termite biological control (Chouvenc et al 2011b) showed that 90% of all laboratory bioassays that tested a pathogenic agent against groups of termites was done in Petri dishes or equivalent, which did not take into account the complex biology of subterranean termites nor the potential interaction between commonly associated microorganisms and the pathogen. In the current study, the colonization of the cellulose pad by S. marcescens, a known termite pathogen, which occurred in the Petri dishes but not in the arenas, suggests that the sand and the rich microbial community associated with the tunnel system (Chouvenc et al 2011a) provides termites with a buffering environment against outbreaks of opportunistic parasitic or pathogenic organisms (Hughes et al 2008;Cremer & Sixt 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Change in Tunnel Heading in the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Response to Movement Through Opened Space

Bardunias

2010

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

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Subterranean termites excavate tunnel patterns that radiate outward from a point of origin along vectors generated by path integration. Upon encountering open space, the tunnel heads away from the new site. In this study we forced termite excavators to travel from an introduction chamber through a tube with a 90° bend before entering a sand-filled arena, an opened chamber with perpendicular openings that forced a 90° turn before access to the arena, or an open chamber with an odor trail left by previous termites traveling through the opened chamber connecting the perpendicular openings. When forced to move through an opened chamber with no odor trail, the termites tunnelled away from the second chamber, not the introduction chamber. In contrast, when a path is either constrained inside a tube or demarcated by odor trail the path was more likely to head away from the first chamber, suggesting that they are not responding to a cue derived from an intrinsic value of open space. The discontinuation of their perceived path as they traveled through the open space seems to have caused an updating of the path integrator. The location of the deposition of excavated sand from the arena within the tube and chamber system varied, with sand found only in the second chamber when the path was broken. The cues that cause an updating of the path integrator also may stimulate sand deposition.

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“…Beauveria species have been demonstrated as microbial control agents of insect pests (Rehner and Buckley 2005;Ghikas et al 2010). In order for entomopathogens to kill termites, they must have the capability of bypassing termite pre-penetration defense mechanisms and also survive passage to nestmates through allogrooming (Chouvenc et al 2011). Combining entomopathogens with enzyme or chemical applications may enhance the pathogenic effect (Bulmer et al 2009) Cuticle-degrading enzymes isolated from three bacteria were studied for their ability to increase effectiveness of Ifr against FST.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved mortality of the Formosan subterranean termite by fungi, when amended with cuticle-degrading enzymes or eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitors

Wright

Lax

2015

Folia Microbiol

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Formosan subterranean termites (FST) were exposed to strains of Beauveria pseudobassiana (Bpb) and Isaria fumosorosea (Ifr) to determine virulence of the fungi. Once lethality was determined, sublethal doses of Bpb were combined with enzymes capable of degrading the insect cuticle to measure the potential to enhance fungal infection. Bpb applied to FST in combination with proteinases and a chitinase caused increased mortality over the fungus alone. Mortality was enhanced when Ifr was applied to FST in combination with a chitinase isolated from Serratia marcesans. A lipase isolated from Pseudomonas cepacia, when combined with Ifr, also resulted in greater mortality than all control treatments. FST were also exposed to the eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitors (EBIs) dexamethasone (DEX), ibuprofen (IBU), and ibuprofen sodium salt (IBUNA), in combination with Ifr. Combining Ifr with IBUNA caused significantly increased mortality on days 6, 7, and 9. Cuticle-degrading enzymes and EBIs may have potential to enhance the pathogenic effect of a fungal control agent against the Formosan subterranean termite.

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Fifty years of attempted biological control of termites – Analysis of a failure

Cited by 131 publications

References 93 publications

Comparison of Volatile Blends and Nucleotide Sequences of Two Beauveria Bassiana Isolates of Different Virulence and Repellency Towards the Termite Macrotermes Michealseni

Comparison of Volatile Blends and Nucleotide Sequences of Two Beauveria Bassiana Isolates of Different Virulence and Repellency Towards the Termite Macrotermes Michealseni

Change in Tunnel Heading in the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Response to Movement Through Opened Space

Improved mortality of the Formosan subterranean termite by fungi, when amended with cuticle-degrading enzymes or eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitors

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