scholarly journals Nosema locustae (Protozoa, Microsporidia), a Biological Agent for Locust and Grasshopper Control

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 711
Author(s):  
Long Zhang ◽  
Michel Lecoq

Effective locust and grasshopper control is crucial as locust invasions have seriously threatened crops and food security since ancient times. However, the preponderance of chemical insecticides, effective and widely used today, is increasingly criticized as a result of their adverse effects on human health and the environment. Alternative biological control methods are being actively sought to replace chemical pesticides. Nosema locustae (Synonyms: Paranosema locustae, Antonospora locustae), a protozoan pathogen of locusts and grasshoppers, was developed as a biological control agent as early as the 1980s. Subsequently, numerous studies have focused on its pathogenicity, host spectrum, mass production, epizootiology, applications, genomics, and molecular biology. Aspects of recent advances in N. locustae show that this entomopathogen plays a special role in locust and grasshopper management because it is safer, has a broad host spectrum of 144 orthopteran species, vertical transmission to offspring through eggs, long persistence in locust and grasshopper populations for more than 10 years, and is well adapted to various types of ecosystems in tropical and temperate regions. However, some limitations still need to be overcome for more efficient locust and grasshopper management in the future.

2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 269
Author(s):  
Behzad Habibpour ◽  
Amir Cheraghi ◽  
Mohammad Saeed Mossadegh

This article is the first report on the promising effect of an entomopathogenic fungus, <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> (Metschnikoff) Sorokin to control populations of <em>Microcerotermes diversus </em>Silvestri. Biological control is an alternative to the long-term usage of chemical pesticides.<em> M. anisopliae</em>, the causal agent of green muscardine disease of insects, is an important fungus in biological control of insect pests. Bait systems can eliminate entire colonies of subterranean termites. Baiting reduces adverse environmental impacts caused by organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides in the control of termites and creates sustainable protection of buildings against their invasion. Treated-sawdust bait was applied by two methods: a) combination of treated sawdust and untreated filter paper, and b) combination of treated sawdust and untreated sawdust. When combinations of treated sawdust and untreated sawdust were used, LC50 and LC90 were 8.4&times;106 and 3.9&times;107 (spore/ml), respectively. With the use of improved bait formula and more virulent strains, we hope to achieve better control of termite colonies and enable pathogens to become a useful element in the Integrated Pest Management system.


Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
Wang-Peng Shi ◽  
Xiao-Yu Wang ◽  
Yue Yin ◽  
Yu-Xing Zhang ◽  
Um-e-Hani Rizvi ◽  
...  

Substantial harm to ecosystems from the use of chemical pesticides has led to an increasing interest in the use of biopesticides to control grasshoppers in rangelands, including China. One such potential biopesticide for control of grasshoppers is the fungus Paranosema locustae. In this study, the dynamics of aboveground natural enemies of grasshoppers and arthropod diversity 0–9 years after application of P. locustae were investigated in rangeland in Qinghai Plateau, China. We found that the number of species and of individuals of aboveground natural enemies increased by 17–250% and 40–126%, respectively, after spraying P. locustae, and that the main natural enemies showed three peaks after treatment. The conventional indices of species diversity (H’) and evenness (J’) increased by 11–267% and 13–171%, respectively, after treatment with P. locustae. The results showed the positive effects of P. locustae on aboveground natural enemies and biodiversity in an arthropod community in Chinese rangeland. Paranosema locustae is thought to be a safe biological control agent for grasshopper management in Northwestern China.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Sani ◽  
Siti Izera Ismail ◽  
Sumaiyah Abdullah ◽  
Johari Jalinas ◽  
Syari Jamian ◽  
...  

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.


2002 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 433-433
Author(s):  
B.A. Gresham ◽  
M.K. Kay ◽  
W. Faulds ◽  
T.M. Withers

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