Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105641
Kiran Jonathan Horrocks , M. Lukas Seehausen , Rachel E. Down , Neil Audsley , Ramona Maggini , Jana Collatz
As the globalisation of trade increases, so does the spread of arthropod pests, leading to a growing focus on biosecurity preparedness. One approach to this is pre-emptive biological control, involving the importation of classical biological control (CBC) agents for risk assessments and acquiring approval for their release prior to the expected arrival of their target pests. This aims to mitigate the economic and/or environmental consequences of a delayed biological control response to pest invasions. Guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control for high priority pests were recently developed. Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive woodboring pest of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America, European Russia and Ukraine, and is spreading westward into Europe, threatening the future of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior). We applied the aforementioned guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control in Europe using four EAB parasitoids, already released in North America for CBC. Three of the parasitoids; Oobius agrili, Spathius galinae, and Tetrastichus planipennisi, were found suitable for pre-emptive biological control. The fourth parasitoid, Spathius agrili, was found to have limited establishment in new environmental conditions, and was therefore deemed less suitable for pre-emptive biological control of EAB in Europe. This assessment can inform scientists and regulators in Europe on the most promising EAB parasitoids that should be considered for pre-emptive applications for importation and risk assessment to acquire pre-approval for immediate release should the target pest subsequently be discovered. In turn, this study contributes to the development of biosecurity preparedness against EAB’s imminent spread throughout Europe.
{"title":"Assessing the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control against the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, an imminent biosecurity threat to Europe","authors":"Kiran Jonathan Horrocks , M. Lukas Seehausen , Rachel E. Down , Neil Audsley , Ramona Maggini , Jana Collatz","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the globalisation of trade increases, so does the spread of arthropod pests, leading to a growing focus on biosecurity preparedness. One approach to this is pre-emptive biological control, involving the importation of classical biological control (CBC) agents for risk assessments and acquiring approval for their release prior to the expected arrival of their target pests. This aims to mitigate the economic and/or environmental consequences of a delayed biological control response to pest invasions. Guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control for high priority pests were recently developed. Emerald ash borer (EAB), <em>Agrilus planipennis</em>, is an invasive woodboring pest of ash (<em>Fraxinus</em> spp.) in North America, European Russia and Ukraine, and is spreading westward into Europe, threatening the future of European ash (<em>Fraxinus excelsior</em>). We applied the aforementioned guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control in Europe using four EAB parasitoids, already released in North America for CBC. Three of the parasitoids; <em>Oobius agrili</em>, <em>Spathius galinae</em>, and <em>Tetrastichus planipennisi</em>, were found suitable for pre-emptive biological control. The fourth parasitoid, <em>Spathius agrili</em>, was found to have limited establishment in new environmental conditions, and was therefore deemed less suitable for pre-emptive biological control of EAB in Europe. This assessment can inform scientists and regulators in Europe on the most promising EAB parasitoids that should be considered for pre-emptive applications for importation and risk assessment to acquire pre-approval for immediate release should the target pest subsequently be discovered. In turn, this study contributes to the development of biosecurity preparedness against EAB’s imminent spread throughout Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105641"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105622
Eugenia Minghetti , Pablo M. Dellapé , Mariano Maestro , Sara I. Montemayor
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Evaluating the climatic suitability of Engytatus passionarius Minghetti et al. (Heteroptera, Miridae) as a biological control agent of the invasive stinking passion flower Passiflora foetida L. in Australia through ecological niche models” [Biol. Control 191 (2024) 105461]","authors":"Eugenia Minghetti , Pablo M. Dellapé , Mariano Maestro , Sara I. Montemayor","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105622","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105622"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142651580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105642
Pamela C Mwikali , Lizzy A. Mwamburi , Simon Peter Musinguzi
<div><div>Recently, the Horn of Africa witnessed a swift increase in the incidence of desert locust (<em>Schistocerca gregaria</em>) invasion. During outbreaks, pesticides are applied through aerial or ground spraying to kill the insects, and/or to prevent their spread to new grounds. However, after decades of extensive use, many drawbacks such as contamination of the environment, toxicity to non-target organisms, harmful residues on food, pest resistance, and bioaccumulation in the food chains emerged. Entomopathogenic fungi offer viable alternatives to chemical pesticides against many insect invasions, but few studies have tested their bio-efficacy in desert locusts. Therefore, the current study aimed at isolating, formulating local isolates 231, 334, 333, 341, 349, 351, 339 of <em>Beauveria bassiana</em>, and testing their bio-efficacy against larval and adult desert locusts. The 21-day experiment was conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Soil samples were collected from two agroecological zones in Isiolo and Laikipia Counties in Kenya. <em>B. bassiana</em> was isolated from the soil samples using the <em>Galleria</em> bait method and cultivated in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar Yeast (SDAY). The isolates were identified based on molecular techniques (DNA and PCR amplification). The conidia of the isolates were screened and bioassays on 30 locusts was conducted for 14 days. The best isolates eliciting over 90 % mortality during screening were used for formulations using three carrier materials (liquid paraffin, Diatomaceous Earth, and whey) which were again tested against adult and 3rd nymphal instars of the locusts. The stability of the formulations was also tested after 1 and 2 months. All the tested isolates of <em>B. bassiana</em> significantly outperformed the control and thus pathogenic to the adults and 3rd nymphal instars of <em>S. gregaria</em> under laboratory conditions. They caused mortality ranging from 57.8–100 % after 14 days post-incubation. The isolates 341, 231, and, 334 elicited 50 % mortality responses at concentrations 1.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml, 2.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml and 1.7 × 10<sup>6</sup> conidia/ml respectively in adults and 1.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml, 2.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml and, 1.7 × 10<sup>6</sup> conidia/ml respectively in 3rd nymphal instars. Formulations with 341–1, 341–2, and, 334–1 had the highest efficacy (>99 %) against the adult locusts. There was a significant 3-way interaction (<em>P</em> < 0.05) of isolate for the formulation, carrier material and, time in determining the Cfu of the <em>B. bassiana</em> formulations. After 1 month, the best Cfu occurred in formulation with isolates 231 and 341 formulated using Diatomaceous Earth, while the highest Cfu was observed in formulation with isolate 334 formulated with either liquid paraffin or whey. After 2 months, the highest Cfu occurred in formulation with isolates 231, 341, and, 334 formulated using liquid paraff
{"title":"Formulation and bio-efficacy of different isolates of Beauveria bassiana against adults and third nymphal instar of desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål)","authors":"Pamela C Mwikali , Lizzy A. Mwamburi , Simon Peter Musinguzi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recently, the Horn of Africa witnessed a swift increase in the incidence of desert locust (<em>Schistocerca gregaria</em>) invasion. During outbreaks, pesticides are applied through aerial or ground spraying to kill the insects, and/or to prevent their spread to new grounds. However, after decades of extensive use, many drawbacks such as contamination of the environment, toxicity to non-target organisms, harmful residues on food, pest resistance, and bioaccumulation in the food chains emerged. Entomopathogenic fungi offer viable alternatives to chemical pesticides against many insect invasions, but few studies have tested their bio-efficacy in desert locusts. Therefore, the current study aimed at isolating, formulating local isolates 231, 334, 333, 341, 349, 351, 339 of <em>Beauveria bassiana</em>, and testing their bio-efficacy against larval and adult desert locusts. The 21-day experiment was conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Soil samples were collected from two agroecological zones in Isiolo and Laikipia Counties in Kenya. <em>B. bassiana</em> was isolated from the soil samples using the <em>Galleria</em> bait method and cultivated in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar Yeast (SDAY). The isolates were identified based on molecular techniques (DNA and PCR amplification). The conidia of the isolates were screened and bioassays on 30 locusts was conducted for 14 days. The best isolates eliciting over 90 % mortality during screening were used for formulations using three carrier materials (liquid paraffin, Diatomaceous Earth, and whey) which were again tested against adult and 3rd nymphal instars of the locusts. The stability of the formulations was also tested after 1 and 2 months. All the tested isolates of <em>B. bassiana</em> significantly outperformed the control and thus pathogenic to the adults and 3rd nymphal instars of <em>S. gregaria</em> under laboratory conditions. They caused mortality ranging from 57.8–100 % after 14 days post-incubation. The isolates 341, 231, and, 334 elicited 50 % mortality responses at concentrations 1.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml, 2.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml and 1.7 × 10<sup>6</sup> conidia/ml respectively in adults and 1.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml, 2.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> conidia/ml and, 1.7 × 10<sup>6</sup> conidia/ml respectively in 3rd nymphal instars. Formulations with 341–1, 341–2, and, 334–1 had the highest efficacy (>99 %) against the adult locusts. There was a significant 3-way interaction (<em>P</em> < 0.05) of isolate for the formulation, carrier material and, time in determining the Cfu of the <em>B. bassiana</em> formulations. After 1 month, the best Cfu occurred in formulation with isolates 231 and 341 formulated using Diatomaceous Earth, while the highest Cfu was observed in formulation with isolate 334 formulated with either liquid paraffin or whey. After 2 months, the highest Cfu occurred in formulation with isolates 231, 341, and, 334 formulated using liquid paraff","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105642"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142553871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105640
Kris A.G. Wyckhuys , Komivi S. Akutse , Divina M. Amalin , Salah-Eddin Araj , Gloria Barrera , Marie Joy B. Beltran , Ibtissem Ben Fekih , Paul-André Calatayud , Lizette Cicero , Marcellin C. Cokola , Yelitza C. Colmenarez , Kenza Dessauvages , Thomas Dubois , Léna Durocher-Granger , Carlos Espinel , José L. Fernández-Triana , Frederic Francis , Juliana Gómez , Khalid Haddi , Rhett D. Harrison , Maged Elkahky
Ecosystem functions such as biological pest control are mediated by the richness and abundance of service providers i.e., biological control agents (BCAs), relative contributions of individual taxa and community structure. This is especially relevant in the native range of agricultural herbivores, where a speciose community of co-evolved BCAs can prevent them from attaining pest status. Here, we use a powerful graphical approach to assess the functional structure of BCA communities of the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize in the Neotropics. Drawing upon a curated database of all-time field and laboratory studies, we graphed patterns in the functional contribution, abundance and niche breadth for a respective 69, 53 and 3 taxa of resident parasitoids, predators and pathogens. Regardless of varying taxon coverage and rigor of the underlying studies, functional structure follows a saturating relationship in which the first three taxa account for 90–98% of aggregate biological control function. Abundance-functionality matrices prove critically incomplete, as more than 80% of invertebrate taxa miss empirically derived efficiency metrics while associated FAW infestation data are scarce. Despite its methodological shortfalls and data gaps, our work pinpoints Chelonus insularis, several taxa of egg parasitoids, Doru spp. and Orius spp. as taxa with outsized (average) functionality and conservation potential. This is also exemplified by the highly variable aggregate function across studies, with dispersion indices of 1.52 and 2.14 for invertebrate BCAs. Our work underlines the critical importance of functional ecology research, networked trials and standardized methodologies in advancing conservation biological control globally.
{"title":"Functional structure of the natural enemy community of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda in the Americas","authors":"Kris A.G. Wyckhuys , Komivi S. Akutse , Divina M. Amalin , Salah-Eddin Araj , Gloria Barrera , Marie Joy B. Beltran , Ibtissem Ben Fekih , Paul-André Calatayud , Lizette Cicero , Marcellin C. Cokola , Yelitza C. Colmenarez , Kenza Dessauvages , Thomas Dubois , Léna Durocher-Granger , Carlos Espinel , José L. Fernández-Triana , Frederic Francis , Juliana Gómez , Khalid Haddi , Rhett D. Harrison , Maged Elkahky","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecosystem functions such as biological pest control are mediated by the richness and abundance of service providers i.e., biological control agents (BCAs), relative contributions of individual taxa and community structure. This is especially relevant in the native range of agricultural herbivores, where a speciose community of co-evolved BCAs can prevent them from attaining pest status. Here, we use a powerful graphical approach to assess the functional structure of BCA communities of the fall armyworm (FAW) <em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize in the Neotropics. Drawing upon a curated database of all-time field and laboratory studies, we graphed patterns in the functional contribution, abundance and niche breadth for a respective 69, 53 and 3 taxa of resident parasitoids, predators and pathogens. Regardless of varying taxon coverage and rigor of the underlying studies, functional structure follows a saturating relationship in which the first three taxa account for 90–98% of aggregate biological control function. Abundance-functionality matrices prove critically incomplete, as more than 80% of invertebrate taxa miss empirically derived efficiency metrics while associated FAW infestation data are scarce. Despite its methodological shortfalls and data gaps, our work pinpoints <em>Chelonus insularis</em>, several taxa of egg parasitoids, <em>Doru</em> spp. and <em>Orius</em> spp. as taxa with outsized (average) functionality and conservation potential. This is also exemplified by the highly variable aggregate function across studies, with dispersion indices of 1.52 and 2.14 for invertebrate BCAs. Our work underlines the critical importance of functional ecology research, networked trials and standardized methodologies in advancing conservation biological control globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105640"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142553741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105637
Betty Benrey , Carlos Bustos-Segura , Patrick Grof-Tisza
The milpa system, an ancient Mesoamerican agricultural practice of intercropping, has sustained communities for centuries, providing food security and preserving biodiversity. Despite its agricultural significance, there exists a notable gap in understanding how this system preserves arthropod biodiversity and facilitates trophic interactions within the milpa community. This review aims to explore the milpa system, examining its historical significance, cultural importance, and ecological benefits and interactions, with a particular emphasis on conservation biological control. With a primary focus on Mexico, supplemented by examples from other countries in the Mesoamerican region, we cover the region that stands as the birthplace and cradle of milpa crop domestication. The review delves into the diversity of arthropods associated with common milpa crops, their roles in ecosystem functioning, and the implications for crop productivity and resilience. It also examines the potential of integrating traditional farming practices into modern agriculture to enhance beneficial interactions and mitigate potential pest pressures. By synthesizing current knowledge on arthropod ecology in the milpa system, this review provides insights that can help to promote sustainable agricultural practices rooted in indigenous knowledge and ecological principles.
{"title":"The mesoamerican milpa system: Traditional practices, sustainability, biodiversity, and pest control","authors":"Betty Benrey , Carlos Bustos-Segura , Patrick Grof-Tisza","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The milpa system, an ancient Mesoamerican agricultural practice of intercropping, has sustained communities for centuries, providing food security and preserving biodiversity. Despite its agricultural significance, there exists a notable gap in understanding how this system preserves arthropod biodiversity and facilitates trophic interactions within the milpa community. This review aims to explore the milpa system, examining its historical significance, cultural importance, and ecological benefits and interactions, with a particular emphasis on conservation biological control. With a primary focus on Mexico, supplemented by examples from other countries in the Mesoamerican region, we cover the region that stands as the birthplace and cradle of milpa crop domestication. The review delves into the diversity of arthropods associated with common milpa crops, their roles in ecosystem functioning, and the implications for crop productivity and resilience. It also examines the potential of integrating traditional farming practices into modern agriculture to enhance beneficial interactions and mitigate potential pest pressures. By synthesizing current knowledge on arthropod ecology in the milpa system, this review provides insights that can help to promote sustainable agricultural practices rooted in indigenous knowledge and ecological principles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105637"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105634
Rachel L. Winston , Mark Schwarzländer , Hariet L. Hinz , Julia Rushton , Paul D. Pratt
Nonnative invasive plants (weeds) negatively impact native ecosystems, and their effects are likely to increase with continuing global trade. Biological weed control has been employed as a cost-effective and sustainable management option for weeds in the USA since 1902. Biological control programs require careful prioritization of target weeds to ensure the most appropriate targets are selected to obtain the greatest beneficial outcomes with available resources. The Biological Control Target Selection (BCTS) system was developed by researchers in South Africa as an objective, transparent approach to prioritizing new weed biological control targets. The BCTS system was recently modified and applied to 295 state-regulated weeds in the western USA for which no biological control agents have yet been released. This paper presents the results of that application, identifying the most suitable candidates for new biological control programs as well as problematic weeds for which the likelihood of successful biological control is low.
Top-ranked species in the western USA are biennial or perennial weeds that occur in stable habitats, are established in more than one state, have traits deemed difficult to control with conventional methods, have large negative impacts and no conflicts of interest outside of the horticultural industry, and have substantial information available on potential biocontrol agents. Fifteen of the 20 top-ranked species are already targets of ongoing biological control programs in the USA. When species with current programs are excluded from the analysis, the next 20 top-ranked species largely differ by having less information available on potential biological control agents and having native or economically important congeners in the USA. Results from this framework provide valuable insights to the prioritization of current and future biocontrol research programs in the western USA.
{"title":"Prioritizing weeds for biological control development in the western USA: Results from the adaptation of the biological control target selection system","authors":"Rachel L. Winston , Mark Schwarzländer , Hariet L. Hinz , Julia Rushton , Paul D. Pratt","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonnative invasive plants (weeds) negatively impact native ecosystems, and their effects are likely to increase with continuing global trade. Biological weed control has been employed as a cost-effective and sustainable management option for weeds in the USA since 1902. Biological control programs require careful prioritization of target weeds to ensure the most appropriate targets are selected to obtain the greatest beneficial outcomes with available resources. The Biological Control Target Selection (BCTS) system was developed by researchers in South Africa as an objective, transparent approach to prioritizing new weed biological control targets. The BCTS system was recently modified and applied to 295 state-regulated weeds in the western USA for which no biological control agents have yet been released. This paper presents the results of that application, identifying the most suitable candidates for new biological control programs as well as problematic weeds for which the likelihood of successful biological control is low.</div><div>Top-ranked species in the western USA are biennial or perennial weeds that occur in stable habitats, are established in more than one state, have traits deemed difficult to control with conventional methods, have large negative impacts and no conflicts of interest outside of the horticultural industry, and have substantial information available on potential biocontrol agents. Fifteen of the 20 top-ranked species are already targets of ongoing biological control programs in the USA. When species with current programs are excluded from the analysis, the next 20 top-ranked species largely differ by having less information available on potential biological control agents and having native or economically important congeners in the USA. Results from this framework provide valuable insights to the prioritization of current and future biocontrol research programs in the western USA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105634"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungus widely employed in agricultural and forestry pest control, faces challenges related to colony growth degradation and sporulation decline during industrial production and germplasm preservation. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to detect the metabolomics of the normal strain and degenerated strain, enabling a comparison and analysis of their metabolic profiles. The results revealed significant differences in metabolic phenotypes among different strains of M.anisopliae, with amino acids playing a crucial role in spore production. Through single factor and response surface tests, optimal amino acid concentrations for sporulation media were determined as follows: lysine at 25.00 mg/L, β-alanine at 140.00 mg/L, arginine at 22.5 mg/L, glutamic acid at 155.00 mg/L. Cultivating degenerated M.anisopliae using this optimized amino acid medium resulted in approximately fivefold increase in sporulation without significantly affecting LT50 values; thus indicating that the formulation promotes M.anisopliae’s sporulation without compromising its virulence.
{"title":"Amino acids promote the rejuvenation of degenerated Metarhizium anisopliae","authors":"Hua Yang, Hua-Long Qiu, Long-Yan Tian, Li-Na Xiao, Si-Quan Ling, Chang-Sheng Qin, Jin-Zhu Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em>, an entomopathogenic fungus widely employed in agricultural and forestry pest control, faces challenges related to colony growth degradation and sporulation decline during industrial production and germplasm preservation. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to detect the metabolomics of the normal strain and degenerated strain, enabling a comparison and analysis of their metabolic profiles. The results revealed significant differences in metabolic phenotypes among different strains of <em>M.anisopliae</em>, with amino acids playing a crucial role in spore production. Through single factor and response surface tests, optimal amino acid concentrations for sporulation media were determined as follows: lysine at 25.00 mg/L, β-alanine at 140.00 mg/L, arginine at 22.5 mg/L, glutamic acid at 155.00 mg/L. Cultivating degenerated <em>M.anisopliae</em> using this optimized amino acid medium resulted in approximately fivefold increase in sporulation without significantly affecting LT<sub>50</sub> values; thus indicating that the formulation promotes <em>M.anisopliae</em>’s sporulation without compromising its virulence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105639"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pathogen infection is one of the most important challenges threatening the success of mass rearing of natural enemies either in insectaries or in augmentative biological control programs. In this investigation, we studied the biological and population growth parameters of a naturally infected colony of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) over 20 generations (G1inf − G20inf) of rearing on Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera) under laboratory conditions. Based on morphological characteristics and ITS sequences, two types of fungal colonies were isolated from the diseased females and identified as Thermothielavioides terrestris and Aspergillus flavus. The results showed that although no significant differences were found in the female longevity and fecundity of H. hebetor on E. kuehniella up to G15inf, the duration of the immature period was extended as the number of generations increased. In addition, the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) had no significant differences up to G8inf. The net reproductive rate (R0) of G15inf had no significant differences with G2inf, G8inf, and G10inf. On the other hand, in G15inf, R0 was significantly higher than G4inf, G6inf, and G20inf. The findings underscore the negative impact of fungal infection on population growth parameters compared with uninfected population. This study showed that naturally fungal infection of the parasitoid affected the population growth and life table parameters through mass rearing, compared and discussed with the healthy parasitoid.
{"title":"Infection with pathogenic fungi is a major threat to the mass production of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor: 20 generations under surveillance","authors":"Fatima Badran , Abdoolnabi Bagheri , Azadeh Goudarzi , Mohammadreza Attaran , Aïda Jalloul , Yaghoub Fathipour","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pathogen infection is one of the most important challenges threatening the success of mass rearing of natural enemies either in insectaries or in augmentative biological control programs. In this investigation, we studied the biological and population growth parameters of a naturally infected colony of the parasitoid wasp <em>Habrobracon hebetor</em> (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) over 20 generations (G1<sub>inf</sub> − G20<sub>inf</sub>) of rearing on <em>Ephestia kuehniella</em> (Zeller) (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera) under laboratory conditions. Based on morphological characteristics and ITS sequences, two types of fungal colonies were isolated from the diseased females and identified as <em>Thermothielavioides terrestris</em> and <em>Aspergillus flavus</em>. The results showed that although no significant differences were found in the female longevity and fecundity of <em>H. hebetor</em> on <em>E. kuehniella</em> up to G15<sub>inf</sub>, the duration of the immature period was extended as the number of generations increased. In addition, the intrinsic rate of increase (<em>r</em>) and finite rate of increase (λ) had no significant differences up to G8<sub>inf</sub>. The net reproductive rate (<em>R</em><sub>0</sub>) of G15<sub>inf</sub> had no significant differences with G2<sub>inf</sub>, G8<sub>inf</sub>, and G10<sub>inf</sub>. On the other hand, in G15<sub>inf</sub>, <em>R</em><sub>0</sub> was significantly higher than G4<sub>inf</sub>, G6<sub>inf</sub>, and G20<sub>inf</sub>. The findings underscore the negative impact of fungal infection on population growth parameters compared with uninfected population. This study showed that naturally fungal infection of the parasitoid affected the population growth and life table parameters through mass rearing, compared and discussed with the healthy parasitoid.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105638"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105635
M.D. Day, J.T. Callander
Invasive weed species can have significant impacts on agriculture, biodiversity and livelihoods. The cost and feasibility of managing these species using conventional means can be prohibitive depending on the size of the infestations or the habitats in which they invade. Under these conditions, biological control is seen as a viable, sustainable means to manage many weeds. However, biological control can take many years and at considerable cost to achieve the desired level of control, due to the numerous steps that are involved, including native range surveys and host-specificity testing of potential agents. Pre-emptive biological control targeting particularly high-risk species prior to their arrival in a country or emerging weeds can be cost-effective, especially if the respective biological control agents have been utilized in other countries. While pre-emptive biological control of arthropods has been investigated previously, there are few examples of pre-emptive biological control of weed species. The invasive weed species, Chromolaena odorata, Mikania micrantha and Coccinia grandis have all been or are currently targets of pre-emptive biological control in Australia. Research on the gall fly Cecidochares connexa was initiated prior to its host, C. odorata being detected in Australia. Cecidochares connexa was eventually released in Australia to control C. odorata, after initial research on the agent found it to be suitably host specific and effective against the target weed. Cecidochares connexa has also been released in numerous other countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, where it is providing very good control. Australia funded research on the rust Puccinia spegazzinii as part of a project involving Fiji and Papua New Guinea while the target weed, M. micrantha was a target for eradication in Queensland. The rust was later approved for release in Australia to control M. micrantha following additional host-specificity testing. However, research funded by Australia overseas suggests that the rust may not be able to suppress M. micrantha populations below current levels. Consequently, while P. spegazzinii has been released in numerous countries now, it has not yet been field released in Australia. Biological control research in Australia on C. grandis is relatively new as the weed is relatively minor and not yet declared a target for biological control. Consequently, no biological control agents have yet been released in the country. Pre-emptive biological control of C. odorata and M. micrantha has been particularly cost-effective, not just for Australia, but subsequently for numerous other countries where these weeds were well-established and problematic and the respective biological control agents were later released.
入侵杂草物种会对农业、生物多样性和生计产生重大影响。使用传统方法管理这些物种的成本和可行性可能过高，这取决于侵扰的规模或入侵的栖息地。在这种情况下，生物防治被视为管理许多杂草的一种可行、可持续的方法。然而，生物防治可能需要多年时间和相当高的成本才能达到理想的控制水平，因为这涉及到许多步骤，包括本地范围调查和潜在制剂的宿主特异性测试。在特别高风险的物种或新出现的杂草到达一个国家之前，针对它们进行先发制人的生物控制，可能具有成本效益，特别是如果相关的生物控制制剂已在其他国家得到利用。以前曾对节肢动物的先发制人生物防治进行过研究，但对杂草物种的先发制人生物防治却鲜有实例。在澳大利亚，入侵杂草物种 Chromolaena odorata、Mikania micrantha 和 Coccinia grandis 都曾是或目前是先发制人生物防治的目标。对五倍子蝇 Cecidochares connexa 的研究是在其宿主 C. odorata 在澳大利亚被发现之前开始的。在对 Cecidochares connexa 进行初步研究后发现，它对宿主具有适当的特异性，对目标杂草也很有效，因此最终将其释放到澳大利亚以控制 C. odorata。Cecidochares connexa 还被释放到非洲、亚洲和太平洋地区的许多其他国家，并在那里发挥了很好的防治效果。澳大利亚资助了 Puccinia spegazzinii 锈病的研究，这是斐济和巴布亚新几内亚参与的一个项目的一部分，而目标杂草 M. micrantha 是昆士兰的根除对象。经过更多的寄主特异性测试后，该锈病后来被批准在澳大利亚释放，以控制微草。不过，由澳大利亚海外资助的研究表明，该锈病可能无法将薇甘菊的种群数量抑制在现有水平之下。因此，虽然 P. spegazzinii 目前已在许多国家释放，但尚未在澳大利亚实地释放。澳大利亚对 C. grandis 的生物防治研究相对较新，因为这种杂草相对较小，尚未被宣布为生物防治目标。因此，该国尚未释放生物防治制剂。对 C. odorata 和 M. micrantha 进行先期生物防治，不仅对澳大利亚，而且对其他许多国家都具有特别高的成本效益。
{"title":"The benefits and potential of pre-emptive weed biological control: Three case studies in Queensland, Australia","authors":"M.D. Day, J.T. Callander","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive weed species can have significant impacts on agriculture, biodiversity and livelihoods. The cost and feasibility of managing these species using conventional means can be prohibitive depending on the size of the infestations or the habitats in which they invade. Under these conditions, biological control is seen as a viable, sustainable means to manage many weeds. However, biological control can take many years and at considerable cost to achieve the desired level of control, due to the numerous steps that are involved, including native range surveys and host-specificity testing of potential agents. Pre-emptive biological control targeting particularly high-risk species prior to their arrival in a country or emerging weeds can be cost-effective, especially if the respective biological control agents have been utilized in other countries. While pre-emptive biological control of arthropods has been investigated previously, there are few examples of pre-emptive biological control of weed species. The invasive weed species, <em>Chromolaena odorata</em>, <em>Mikania micrantha</em> and <em>Coccinia grandis</em> have all been or are currently targets of pre-emptive biological control in Australia. Research on the gall fly <em>Cecidochares connexa</em> was initiated prior to its host, <em>C. odorata</em> being detected in Australia. <em>Cecidochares connexa</em> was eventually released in Australia to control <em>C. odorata</em>, after initial research on the agent found it to be suitably host specific and effective against the target weed. <em>Cecidochares connexa</em> has also been released in numerous other countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, where it is providing very good control. Australia funded research on the rust <em>Puccinia spegazzinii</em> as part of a project involving Fiji and Papua New Guinea while the target weed, <em>M. micrantha</em> was a target for eradication in Queensland. The rust was later approved for release in Australia to control <em>M. micrantha</em> following additional host-specificity testing. However, research funded by Australia overseas suggests that the rust may not be able to suppress <em>M. micrantha</em> populations below current levels. Consequently, while <em>P. spegazzinii</em> has been released in numerous countries now, it has not yet been field released in Australia. Biological control research in Australia on <em>C. grandis</em> is relatively new as the weed is relatively minor and not yet declared a target for biological control. Consequently, no biological control agents have yet been released in the country. Pre-emptive biological control of <em>C. odorata</em> and <em>M. micrantha</em> has been particularly cost-effective, not just for Australia, but subsequently for numerous other countries where these weeds were well-established and problematic and the respective biological control agents were later released.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105635"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105636
Gaëtan Seimandi-Corda , Thomas Hood , Matthew Hampson , Todd Jenkins , Daniel Blumgart , Jamie Hall , Kelly Jowett , Toke Thomas Høye , Samantha M. Cook
Cameras are common tools for ecologists studying species abundance, richness, and interactions. They are mainly used to study large animals but are increasingly used to study invertebrates. Camera traps could be a powerful tool to identify and quantify the natural enemies, such as predators, of specific agricultural pests. This knowledge can then be applied to adapt farming practices to favour the predators identified and improve conservation biocontrol.
Here, cameras were used to identify predators of two insect pests of oilseed rape (Brassica napus): the pollen beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus) and the brassica pod midge (Dasineura brassicae). These insects are spring pests of oilseed rape and are both susceptible to predation by ground-dwelling arthropods during their development cycle. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the predators of the pest species, and 2) investigate the hypothesis that the diel activity periods of the predators match the timing of pest larval presence on the ground. Field observations were conducted in two locations over two consecutive years in the UK.
In contrast to previous reports, our data collected using cameras showed that larval stages of predatory beetles are responsible for most of the predation events and that adult stages were not frequently observed feeding on the prey. Our data also showed that the traditional method, using pitfall traps, failed to detect the presence of large numbers of beetle larvae. Interestingly, the pests dropped to the ground and were therefore most susceptible to predation at the time when predators were most active.
These results give new insight on the predators of the two most important spring pests of oilseed rape in Europe. This knowledge can be used by practitioners to develop framing practices targeted on enhancing the abundance of the larval stages of these beneficial arthropods to better control the pests in a more sustainable way.
{"title":"Identifying insect predators using camera traps reveal unexpected predator communities in oilseed rape fields","authors":"Gaëtan Seimandi-Corda , Thomas Hood , Matthew Hampson , Todd Jenkins , Daniel Blumgart , Jamie Hall , Kelly Jowett , Toke Thomas Høye , Samantha M. Cook","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cameras are common tools for ecologists studying species abundance, richness, and interactions. They are mainly used to study large animals but are increasingly used to study invertebrates. Camera traps could be a powerful tool to identify and quantify the natural enemies, such as predators, of specific agricultural pests. This knowledge can then be applied to adapt farming practices to favour the predators identified and improve conservation biocontrol.</div><div>Here, cameras were used to identify predators of two insect pests of oilseed rape (<em>Brassica napus</em>): the pollen beetle (<em>Brassicogethes aeneus</em>) and the brassica pod midge (<em>Dasineura brassicae</em>). These insects are spring pests of oilseed rape and are both susceptible to predation by ground-dwelling arthropods during their development cycle. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the predators of the pest species, and 2) investigate the hypothesis that the diel activity periods of the predators match the timing of pest larval presence on the ground. Field observations were conducted in two locations over two consecutive years in the UK.</div><div>In contrast to previous reports, our data collected using cameras showed that larval stages of predatory beetles are responsible for most of the predation events and that adult stages were not frequently observed feeding on the prey. Our data also showed that the traditional method, using pitfall traps, failed to detect the presence of large numbers of beetle larvae. Interestingly, the pests dropped to the ground and were therefore most susceptible to predation at the time when predators were most active.</div><div>These results give new insight on the predators of the two most important spring pests of oilseed rape in Europe. This knowledge can be used by practitioners to develop framing practices targeted on enhancing the abundance of the larval stages of these beneficial arthropods to better control the pests in a more sustainable way.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 105636"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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