Biological control of Bemisia tabaci gennadius by using entomopathogenic fungi Aschersonia aleyrodis

Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), consists of genetically diverse species known to cause significant destruction in several crops around the world. Nymphs and adults of B. tabaci cause damage to plants during feeding, and they can act as a virus vector, thus causing significant yield loss to crops in the tropical and subtropical regions. Chemical pesticides are widely used to control B. tabaci due to their immediate action, but this approach has several drawbacks including food safety issues, insecticide resistance, environmental pollution, and the effect on non-target organisms. A biological control agent using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) has therefore been developed as an alternative against the conventional use of chemical pesticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) system to effectively control B. tabaci. It is apparent from this review that species of hyphomycetes fungi are the most common EPF used to effectively control B. tabaci, with the second instar being the most susceptible stage of infection. Therefore, this review article focuses specifically on the control of B. tabaci with special emphasis on the use of EPF as biological control agents and their integration in IPM.

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Effect of the native strain of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter and the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium against Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) under greenhouse conditions in Tunisia

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control ◽

10.1186/s41938-021-00395-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Besma Hamrouni Assadi ◽

Sabrine Chouikhi ◽

Refki Ettaib ◽

Naima Boughalleb M’hamdi ◽

Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi

Keyword(s):

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Bemisia Tabaci ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Tobacco Plant ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Native Strain ◽

Lecanicillium Muscarium ◽

Southern Tunisia ◽

Significant Efficacy ◽

Nesidiocoris Tenuis

Abstract Background The misuse of chemical insecticides has developed the phenomenon of habituation in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) causing enormous economic losses under geothermal greenhouses in southern Tunisia. Results In order to develop means of biological control appropriate to the conditions of southern Tunisia, the efficacy of the native strain of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) and two entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium was tested against Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Indeed, the introduction of N. tenuis in doses of 1, 2, 3, or 4 nymphs per tobacco plant infested by the whitefly led to highly significant reduction in the population of B. tabaci, than the control devoid of predator. The efficacy of N. tenuis was very high against nymphs and adults of B. tabaci at all doses per plant with a rate of 98%. Likewise, B. bassiana and L. muscarium, compared to an untreated control, showed a very significant efficacy against larvae and adults of B. tabaci. In addition, the number of live nymphs of N. tenuis treated directly or introduced on nymphs of B. tabaci treated with the EPF remained relatively high, exceeding 24.8 nymphs per cage compared to the control (28.6). Conclusions It can be concluded that the native strain of N. tenuis and the EPF tested separately were effective against B. tabaci. Their combined use appears to be possible.

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An assessment of biological control of the banana pseudostem weevil Odoiporus longicollis (Olivier) by entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana

Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology ◽

10.1016/j.bcab.2019.101262 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 101262 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alagersamy Alagesan ◽

Balakrishnan Padmanaban ◽

Gunasekaran Tharani ◽

Sundaram Jawahar ◽

Subramanian Manivannan

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi

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Ecology of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae in temperate agroecosystems: Potential for conservation biological control

Biological Control ◽

10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.07.007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 145-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 267

Author(s):

Nicolai V. Meyling ◽

Jørgen Eilenberg

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽

Conservation Biological Control

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Interactions Between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Other Natural Enemies: Implications for Biological Control

Biocontrol Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/09583150020011708 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 737-752 ◽

Cited By ~ 135

Author(s):

Helen E. Roy ◽

Judith K. Pell

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Natural Enemies

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Classification and infection mechanism of entomopathogenic fungi

Arquivos do Instituto Biológico ◽

10.1590/1808-1657000552015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Margy Alejandra Esparza Mora ◽

Alzimiro Marcelo Conteiro Castilho ◽

Marcelo Elias Fraga

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Mode Of Action ◽

Insect Cuticle ◽

Biological Control Agents ◽

Intensive Research ◽

Infection Mechanism ◽

The World ◽

The Subject

ABSTRACT: Entomopathogenic fungi are important biological control agents throughout the world, have been the subject of intensive research for more than 100 years, and can occur at epizootic or enzootic levels in their host populations. Their mode of action against insects involves attaching a spore to the insect cuticle, followed by germination, penetration of the cuticle, and dissemination inside the insect. Strains of entomopathogenic fungi are concentrated in the following orders: Hypocreales (various genera), Onygenales (Ascosphaera genus), Entomophthorales, and Neozygitales (Entomophthoromycota).

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