Cito Annarita, Mazza Giuseppe, Strangi Agostino, Benvenuti Claudia, Barzanti Gian P, Dreassi Elena, Turchetti Tullio, Francardi Valeria, Roversi Pio F
Consiglio per la ricerca e la sperimentazione in agricoltura, Research Centre for Agrobiology and Pedology, Firenze, Italy.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2014 Jun;355(2):108-15. doi: 10.1111/1574-6968.12470. Epub 2014 Jun 6.
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is considered the worst pest of palm species, and few natural enemies are reported for this parasite in its area of origin. Here, we report the first recovery of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense associated with R. ferrugineus from Vietnam. The morphological, biochemical, and toxicological features of this strain were studied and compared with those of another Metarhizium strain associated with this weevil in Sicily (Italy), an area of recent introduction. The potential use of these fungi as biocontrol agents was tested against adult insects in laboratory trials and a similar mortality rate was found. Both strains were able to produce toxins and cuticle-degrading proteases, but they showed dissimilar enzymatic and toxicological profiles, suggesting a different virulence activity.
红棕象甲被认为是棕榈树种最严重的害虫，在其原产地，针对这种寄生虫的天敌报道很少。在此，我们报告了首次从越南与红棕象甲相关联的昆虫病原真菌——平沙绿僵菌的分离。研究了该菌株的形态、生化和毒理学特征，并与在意大利西西里岛（近期引入的地区）与这种象甲相关的另一种绿僵菌菌株进行了比较。在实验室试验中，测试了这些真菌作为生物防治剂对成虫的潜在用途，发现死亡率相似。两种菌株都能够产生毒素和降解表皮的蛋白酶，但它们显示出不同的酶学和毒理学特征，表明毒力活性不同。
