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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372398

Research Project: Microbial and Arthropod Biological Control Agents for Management of Insect Pests of Greenhouse Crops and Trees

Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research

Title: Genetic diversity among naturally-occurring strains of Beauveria bassiana associated with the introduced coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Hawai'i Island

Author
item Castrillo, Louela
item Wraight, Stephen
item GALAINI-WRAIGHT, SANDY - University Of Hawaii
item Matsumoto Brower, Tracie
item Howes, Rebecca
item Keith, Lisa

Submitted to: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/16/2020
Publication Date: 8/20/2020
Citation: Castrillo, L.A., Wraight, S.P., Galaini-Wraight, S., Matsumoto Brower, T.K., Howes, R.L., Keith, L.M. 2020. Genetic diversity among naturally-occurring strains of Beauveria bassiana associated with the introduced coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Hawai'i Island. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2020.107456.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2020.107456

Interpretive Summary: The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is considered as the most important insect pest of coffee worldwide. CBB was discovered on the Hawaii Island in 2010, and since then was found on Oahu (2014) and on Maui (2016). As part of an area wide effort to manage CBB in Hawaii, we conducted a survey of the fungal pathogen Beauveria sp. associated with the beetle. Isolates were initially characterized morphologically, and then selected representatives were analyzed by multilocus sequencing. All isolates were identified as B. bassiana, with 16 genotypes observed. Representatives of the more common genotypes were selected for bioassays on comparative virulence against CBB, for possible use as biological control agents against the beetle.

Technical Abstract: The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is considered the most important insect pest of coffee worldwide. CBB was discovered on Hawai‘i Island in 2010 and soon thereafter on the islands of O’ahu (2014) and Maui (2016). As part of an areawide effort to manage CBB in Hawai‘i, we conducted a survey of naturally-occurring Beauveria associated with the beetle. Sampling of CBB from coffee farms or feral sites in various districts on the islands of Hawai‘i and O’ahu, and also from Puerto Rico, resulted in greater than 1800 Beauveria isolates. These were initially characterized using colony morphology to differentiate Beauveria bassiana commercial strain GHA, registered for use in Hawai‘i, from feral congenerics. A total of 117 isolates representative of these morphotypes were selected for further characterization. Sequencing of the intergenic regions Bloc and EFutr identified all as Beauveria bassiana sensu stricto. Sixteen haplotypes were observed, with one more common haplotype present in 12 of 16 sites sampled on Hawai‘i Island. This haplotype, designated Bb1, was the only haplotype observed in a 2016 epizootic on a high-elevation coffee farm on Hawai‘i Island with no history of GHA application. Many of the haplotypes showed genetic similarity to those collected from CBB from other countries, including Brazil, Columbia, Nicaragua, and Kenya, but a few were identical to those from other insect species collected in Hawai‘i before 2010. This diversity suggests a mix of introduced haplotypes carried into Hawai‘i by the invading beetles and native haplotypes that "jumped" to the recently introduced pest.