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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248243
Title: Susceptibility of Apple Clearwing Moth Larvae, Synanthedon myopaeformis (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) to Beauveria basiana and Metarhizium brunneum

Author
item COSSENTINE, JOAN - Agri Food - Canada
item JUDD, GARY - Agri Food - Canada
item BISSETT, J - Agri Food - Canada
item Lacey, Lawrence

Submitted to: Biocontrol Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/9/2010
Publication Date: 3/29/2010
Citation: Cossentine, J., Judd, G., Bissett, J., Lacey, L.A. 2010. Susceptibility of Apple Clearwing Moth Larvae, Synanthedon myopaeformis (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) to Beauveria basiana and Metarhizium brunneum. Biocontrol Science and Technology. 20:703-707.

Interpretive Summary: The apple clearwing moth is a pest of apple trees and has emigrated from Europe to southern British Columbia. Management methods are needed to prevent damage to orchard trees in British Columbia and subsequently in Washington. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, WA, and the Agricultural AgriFood Canada laboratory in Summerland, BC, are studying pthogenic fungi that may kill apple clearwing moth. Two fungi called Metarhizium brunneum and Beaveria bassania, killed apple clearwing moth larvae in laboratory assays. These fungi may permit control of the moth without the application of undesirable chemicals.

Technical Abstract: Apple clearwing moth larvae, Synanthedon myopaeformis (Lepidoptera: Sessidae) collected from orchards in British Columbia, Canada, were naturally infected with the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium brunneum (Petch). In laboratory bioassays, larvae were susceptible to infection and dose related mortality by both M. brunneum and Beauveria bassiana isolate GHA with 7 d LC50's of 2.9 x 105 and 3.4 x 105 sp/ml, respectively. Mortalities caused by the two isolates at 1 x 106 sp/ml were not significantly different, with M. brunneum and B bassiana and causing 73 and 76 percent mortality 7 d post treatment with LT50's of 5.5 and 5.1 d, respectively.