Laboratory and field studies for the control of Chagas disease vectors using the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Abstract

Chagas disease is one of the most important insectvectored diseases in Brazil. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was evaluated against nymphs and adults of Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma infestans, and T. sordida. Pathogenicity tests at saturated humidity demonstrated high susceptibility to fungal infection. The shortest estimates of 50% lethal time (LT 50) for P. megistus varied from 4.6 (isolate E9) to 4.8 days (genetically modified strain 157p). For T. infestans, the shortest LT 50 was 6.3 (E9) and 7.3 days (157p). For T. sordida, the shortest LT 50 was 8.0 days (157p). The lethal concentration sufficient to kill 50% of T. infestans (LC 50) was 1.9 × 10 7 conidia/ml for strain 157p. In three chicken coops that were sprayed with M. anisopliae, nymphs especially were well controlled, with a great population reduction of 38.5% after 17 days. Therefore M. anisopliae performed well, controlling Triatominae in both laboratory and field studies.

Scirtothrips dorsalis E PROSPECÇÃO DE SEU DESENVOLVIMENTO EM CONDIÇÃO TÉRMICA DE DOIS CÓRREGOS, SP

“…Assim este fungo demonstra ser uma alternativa viável de método biológico para a prevenção da doença de Chagas (RANGEL et al, 2020).…”

Virulence of the insect-pathogenic fungiMetarhiziumspp. to Mormon crickets,Anabrus simplex(Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

“…Fungal entomopathogens are viable agents for biological control of insects (Alston et al, 2005;Li et al, 2010;Garrido-Jurado et al, 2020;Rangel et al, 2020). Metarhizium spp.…”