Virulence Bioassay of Entomopathogenic Fungi against Adults of Atta mexicana under Controlled Conditions
Source abstract
Abstract
Leafcutter ants (Atta spp.) are one of the mos t economically harmful pests in agriculture, considered dominant in the Neotropics and South America. Mature colonies of A. mexicana have a great economic impact on Mexico’s agriculture. Microbial agents in the form of biopesticides are an effective component of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and may present a better alternative to synthetic insecticides. Among the fungi most used as biological insecticides there are Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the entomopathogenic fungi B. bassiana and M. anisopliae of commercial origin and a native strain of B. bassiana from México (MA-Bb1) on adults of Atta mexicana under controlled conditions. In the bioassay, five formulations and a control group were tested (B. bassiana MA-Bb1, B. bassiana MA-Bb1+ Diatomin®, B. bassiana®, M. anisopliae®, Diatomin®, and Tween 80 (0.01%). The MA-Bb1+ Diatomin® biopreparation induced the highest mortality (100%) in four-week-old A. mexicana, followed by the MA-Bb1, M. anisopliae®, and B. bassiana® biopreparations, which caused mortality of 83.33%, 73.98%, and 68.70%, respectively. Treatments containing B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were efficient in controlling A. mexicana under controlled conditions. The most efficient biological control was achieved with the B. bassiana fungus and Diatomin®, which presented the highest total death rate in A. mexicana 96 h post infection, in contrast to the control group (Tween 80), which attained the lowest speed of death in the present investigation.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control · Insect Pest Control Strategies · Insect Resistance and Genetics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Puebla, Boulevard Forjadores de Puebla No. 205, Santiago Momoxpan, Municipio de San Pedro Cholula, Puebla C.P. 72760, Mexico
CONAHCyT-Centro Universitario de Vinculación y Transferencia de Tecnología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Prolongación de la 24 Sur y Av. San Claudio, Ciudad Universitaria. Col. San Manuel, Puebla C.P. 72570, Mexico
Centro de Agroecología, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Edificio VAL 1, Km 1.7 carretera a San Baltazar Tetela, San Pedro Zacachimalpa, Puebla C.P. 72960, Mexico
Funding
Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencia y Tecnología (Conahcyt) · Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Puebla · Benémerita Universidad Autónoma of Puebla
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