Susceptibility of different life stages of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to indigenous entomopathogenic fungi

ESKİ A., Murat Gezgin M.

Journal of Stored Products Research, cilt.98, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 98
  • Basım Tarihi: 2022
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jspr.2022.102008
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Stored Products Research
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, PASCAL, BIOSIS, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Fungi, Stored product, Tenebrio-bait method, Virulence
  • Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

© 2022 Elsevier LtdTenebrio molitor L, known as the yellow mealworm, is a polyphagous insect that infests cereals, flour, bran, and pasta worldwide. Both larvae and adults of the pest cause significant damage to stored products. In this study, entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from soil samples using the Tenebrio-bait method and the susceptibility of different life stages of T. molitor to these indigenous isolates was investigated. Based on morphology and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence, a total of seven fungal isolates, one Beauveria bassiana and six Metarhizium anisopliae, were identified. The screening test showed that the virulence of entomopathogenic fungi varies according to fungal species and strain, and that different life stages differ in their susceptibility to fungal infection. B. bassiana BL8 was the most effective isolate for all life stages tested. While adults were the most resistant life stage (LC50 = 5.6 × 106 conidia/ml) to B. bassiana infection, pupae were the most susceptible life stage (LC50 = 3.9 × 102 conidia/ml). The results show that B. bassiana BL8 is a promising microbial control agent that can support the control of T. molitor.