Nel Wilma J, Slippers Bernard, Wingfield Michael J, Yilmaz Neriman, Hurley Brett P
Department of Zoology and Entomology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
Insects. 2023 Apr 5;14(4):361. doi: 10.3390/insects14040361.
The invasive ambrosia beetle, , was first reported in South Africa in 2018. The beetle has now spread to eight provinces of the country and has had a devastating impact on both native and non-native tree species. This is especially true for trees located in urban and peri-urban environments. Recent predictions are that the South African invasion will cost an estimated ZAR 275 billion (approx. USD 16 billion) if it continues to spread uncontrollably, justifying an urgent need for its effective management in the country. One option is biological control, which is preferred over the use of chemicals due to its lower environmental impact. We tested two broad-spectrum fungal entomopathogenic agents, Eco-Bb and Bio-Insek, which are commercially available in South Africa, for efficacy against . Initial laboratory assays yielded promising results. However, beetle infestation trials using treated pieces of woody castor bean stems showed little effect on beetle survival and reproduction.
入侵性的南洋杉材小蠹于2018年首次在南非被发现。目前，这种甲虫已扩散至该国的八个省份，对本地和非本地树种都造成了毁灭性影响。对于城市和城郊环境中的树木而言，情况尤为如此。近期预测表明，如果南非的南洋杉材小蠹继续不受控制地扩散，预计将造成2750亿兰特（约合160亿美元）的损失，这凸显了在该国对其进行有效管理的迫切需求。一种选择是生物防治，由于其对环境的影响较小，因此比使用化学药剂更受青睐。我们测试了两种广谱真菌病原杀虫剂Eco-Bb和Bio-Insek（这两种产品在南非均可商业获取）对南洋杉材小蠹的防治效果。初步实验室试验取得了有前景的结果。然而，使用经处理的蓖麻木质茎段进行的甲虫侵染试验表明，其对甲虫的存活和繁殖几乎没有影响。
