Chavez Alejandra V, Duren Emily B, Avery Pasco B, Pitino Marco, Duncan Rita E, Cruz Luisa F, Carrillo Daniel, Cano Liliana M, Cave Ronald D
Entomology and Nematology Department, Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 2199 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA.
Plant Pathology Department, Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 2199 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA.
Insects. 2023 Aug 24;14(9):726. doi: 10.3390/insects14090726.
, the tea shot-hole borer (TSHB), is an invasive ambrosia beetle that vectors several fungal pathogens that cause branch dieback in avocado trees in southern Florida. This study assessed the potential of four commercial products containing the entomopathogenic fungus () for managing adult TSHB beetles. Formulated products containing strains to which adult beetles were exposed were BioCeres WP, BotaniGard WP, BotaniGard ES, and Velifer ES. Controls consisted of water only and BotaniGard ES and Velifer ES supernatant with spores removed. Acquisition of spores by adult beetles dipped in product suspensions with 2.5 ± 0.1 × 10 spores/mL was assessed. Survival time of beetles after residual exposure to the -based products in an in vivo avocado bark plug bioassay was determined. Production of spores on beetles after being dipped in product suspensions and placed in a moistened bark-plug assay with water only was assessed. Significantly more spores were acquired by beetles exposed to Velifer ES and BotaniGard ES than beetles exposed to the other fungal products. Beetles exposed to Velifer ES and BotaniGard ES died faster (6-8 days) compared to beetles dipped in the other fungal products (10-11 days) and controls (12 days). Percentage of mycosis was highest with beetles exposed to Velifer ES (63%). Spore production on cadavers of beetles dipped in Velifer ES (20 ± 6.4 × 10 spores/cadaver) was the highest among all treatments, whereas it was the lowest on cadavers of beetles dipped in BotaniGard ES (1 ± 0.2 × 10 spores/cadaver). All -based products, especially Velifer ES, demonstrated potential to manage TSHB populations under laboratory conditions. These -based fungal products should be tested under field conditions to confirm these laboratory results.
茶小蠹（TSHB）是一种入侵性的食菌小蠹，它传播多种真菌病原体，导致佛罗里达州南部鳄梨树的树枝枯死。本研究评估了四种含有昆虫病原真菌（）的商业产品对成年茶小蠹甲虫的防治潜力。含有成年甲虫所接触菌株的制剂产品有BioCeres WP、BotaniGard WP、BotaniGard ES和Velifer ES。对照仅包括水以及去除了孢子的BotaniGard ES和Velifer ES上清液。评估了成年甲虫浸入含2.5±0.1×10个孢子/毫升产品悬浮液中后孢子的获取情况。通过体内鳄梨树皮块生物测定法测定了甲虫在残留接触基于的产品后的存活时间。评估了甲虫浸入产品悬浮液后再置于仅含水的湿润树皮块试验中时，甲虫上孢子的产生情况。暴露于Velifer ES和BotaniGard ES的甲虫比暴露于其他真菌产品的甲虫获取的孢子明显更多。与浸入其他真菌产品（10 - 11天）和对照（12天）的甲虫相比，暴露于Velifer ES和BotaniGard ES的甲虫死亡更快（6 - 8天）。暴露于Velifer ES的甲虫真菌病发生率最高（63%）。在所有处理中，浸入Velifer ES的甲虫尸体上的孢子产量最高（20±6.4×10个孢子/尸体），而浸入BotaniGard ES的甲虫尸体上的孢子产量最低（1±0.2×10个孢子/尸体）。所有基于的产品，尤其是Velifer ES，在实验室条件下显示出管理茶小蠹种群的潜力。这些基于真菌的产品应在田间条件下进行测试，以证实这些实验室结果。
