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Title: PATHOGENICITY OF THREE FORMULATIONS OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI FOR CONTROL OF ADULT HAEMATOBIA IRRITANS (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE)

Author
item Lohmeyer, Kimberly - Kim
item Miller, John

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2006
Publication Date: 12/1/2006
Citation: Lohmeyer, K.H., Miller, J.A. 2006. Pathogenicity of three formulations of entomopathogenic fungi for control of adult Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 99(6):1943-1947.

Interpretive Summary: Three species of fungi that infect and kill insects were tested for their ability to infect adult horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.). Flies were treated with spores of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus in the laboratory and observed for mortality. Two species of tested fungus, B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, readily infected and killed adult horn flies rapidly while P. fumosoroseus did not. These studies indicate that B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were effective at infecting and rapidly killing adult horn flies indicating that these fungi may have potential for controlling populations of horn flies.

Technical Abstract: Three species of entomopathogenic fungi were evaluated for their pathogenic effect upon adult horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.). Flies were treated with conidia and blastospores of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (strain GHA), Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (strain ESCI), and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith (strain ARSEF 3581) in the laboratory. At 4 d post-exposure, flies treated with B. bassiana had an average of 98.4% mortality versus 43.5% from treatment with M. anisopliae and 13.0% from treatment with P. fumosoroseus. At 7 d post-exposure, flies treated with B. bassiana had an average of 100.0% mortality compared to 73.0% from treatment with M. anisopliae and 33.3% from treatment with P. fumosoroseus. Mean lethal time (LT50) was 2.70, 4.98, and 7.97 d for B. bassiana, M. anisopliae, and P. fumosoroseus. Entomopathogenic fungi such as B. bassiana and M. anisopliae may have the potential for controlling populations of horn flies. These studies indicate that B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were not only pathogenic to adult horn flies, but caused mortality in a short amount of time.