Fast Recognition of spp., and Its Virulence Against .

BACKGROUND

(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a highly rasping-sucking pest of numerous crops. The entomogenous fungi of spp. are important pathogens of insect pests, and some species have been developed as commercial biopesticides. To explore spp. resources in the development of more effective controls, efficient barcode combinations for strain identification were screened from internal transcribed spacers (ITS), , , , , and genes.

RESULTS

Six genes were used to reconstruct genus phylogeny. The results showed that ITS, , , and could be used to identify the strains. All phylogenetic trees reconstructed by free combination of these four genes exhibited almost the same topology. Bioassay studies of a purified conidial suspension further confirmed the infection of second-instar nymphs and adult female by seven strains. strain GZUIFR-lun1405 was the most virulent, killing approximately 91.67% adults and 76.67% nymphs after a 7-day exposure. strain GZUIFR-lun1405 and strain GZUIFR-ZHJ01 were selected to compare the fungal effects on the number of eggs laid by . The number of nymphs significantly decreased when adults were treated with strain GZUIFR-ZHJ01.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of ITS and could be used for fast recognition of spp. This is the first report of the pathogenicity of , , , and against . Additionally, strain GZUIFR-ZHJ01 caused high mortality and inhibited the fecundity of the pest.