Performance of a semiochemical‐baited autoinoculation device treated with Metarhizium anisopliae for control of Frankliniella occidentalis on French bean in field cages

Abstract

The performance of an autoinoculation device was evaluated in field cage experiments for control of Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in French bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Samantha (Fabaceae). Treatments consisted of a fungus‐treated device with and without semiochemical (Lurem‐TR), and a fungus‐free device as control; the fungus used was Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae). The overall mean number of conidia acquired by a single insect was higher in the fungus‐treated semiochemical‐baited device than in the device without semiochemical: 5.0 ± 0.6 × 104 vs. 2.2 ± 0.4 × 104 conidia per insect. The overall thrips mortality was also higher in the semiochemical‐baited device than in the device without the semiochemical: 59.3 ± 3.9 vs. 41.7 ± 3.5%. Conidial viability was not affected in the M. anisopliae‐treated device without semiochemicals, 7 days after treatment, whereas it was considerably decreased – from 81.0 ± 1.3 to 6.5 ± 1.1%, 2 and 7 days post‐inoculation – in the M. anisopliae‐treated semiochemical‐baited device. Thrips mortality was positively correlated with M. anisopliae conidial viability, and conidial viability was negatively correlated with conidial acquisition. This suggests that the semiochemical volatiles reduced the conidial viability, which in turn resulted in significant reduction in thrips mortality, despite the highest conidial acquisition in the semiochemical‐baited fungus‐treated device. Thrips density per plant was significantly reduced in both fungus‐treated treatments (with semiochemical: 8.7 ± 1.7 adults per plant; without semiochemical: 6.6 ± 1.4 adults per plant) compared with the fungus‐free control (19.8 ± 2.6 adults per plant). These results demonstrate the potential for an autoinoculation device strategy for the control of thrips, particularly in screenhouses.

Combination of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and pheromone in an attract‐and‐kill strategy against the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus

“…This delivery system could be economically applied to the entire crop, establishing hundreds of infection sites. Potential hazardous effects of chemical compounds from semiochemical formulations on conidial activity, as suggested in other studies (Baverstock et al, 2010;Niassy et al, 2012), were not observed. Incorporation of the C. sordidus pheromone on fat pellets formulated with B. bassiana did not reduce pheromone attractiveness.…”

Evaluation of semiochemicals for their potential application in mass trapping of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) in roses

“…Niassy et al (2012) found that when Lurem-TR was applied to an auto-inoculation device containing the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), the number of conidia acquired by thrips increased as did mortality. However, Lurem-TR also reduced the viability of the fungal conidia, though the effect appears to be related to the proximity of the lure to the inoculation device (W. de Kogel, pers.…”

Development of pull and push–pull systems for management of lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, in poultry houses using alarm and aggregation pheromones

“…An attract‐and‐kill strategy that combines the use of entomopathogenic fungi with attractant pheromones has been described previously for other insects, e.g. the grain borer, Prostephanus truncates (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) . We believe that this combined approach has the potential to be used for A. diaperinus management.…”