Meng ShaoKe, Liang ChaoPeng, Zheng Qun, Zhu ShiQi, Wu Jian, Wang BoTong, Wang YongQing, Zhang Zhixiang, Cheng DongMei
College of Agriculture and Biology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510642, China.
College of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2025 Apr;209:106350. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106350. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
The red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, poses threats to biodiversity, public safety, agriculture, and the economy, especially as global trade expands its reach into China. To address this, researchers screened fungal isolates from soil in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, aiming to develop a biopesticide against RIFA. Metarhizium anisopliae, known for its biocontrol potential, was identified as a candidate. This insect pathogenic fungus parasitizes Lepidoptera pest larvae and Hemiptera stinkbugs, causing green rigidity and repeated infestations. Microscopic, morphological, and molecular analyses were conducted on the fungal isolates, with ZHKUJGZ1, a strain of M. anisopliae, showing promise. Tests revealed that inoculating RIFA workers with 1 × 10 cfu/mL of ZHKUJGZ1 resulted in an 83.33 ± 1.57 % mortality rate, with an LC50 of 8.36 × 10 cfu/mL. Untargeted metabolomics suggested that ZHKUJGZ1 enhances insecticidal activity by disrupting the nervous system, signaling, digestive system, amino acid metabolism, and biosynthesis in RIFA. This study highlights the potential of using entomopathogenic fungi like M. anisopliae isolated from Dongguan as an effective strategy for controlling RIFA, offering a promising biocontrol option for agricultural pests.
红火蚁（RIFA），即入侵红火蚁（Solenopsis invicta Buren），对生物多样性、公共安全、农业和经济构成威胁，尤其是随着全球贸易将其影响范围扩大到中国。为解决这一问题，研究人员从广东省东莞市的土壤中筛选真菌分离株，旨在开发一种针对红火蚁的生物农药。以其生物防治潜力而闻名的绿僵菌被确定为候选菌株。这种昆虫病原真菌寄生于鳞翅目害虫幼虫和半翅目椿象，导致虫体僵硬和反复感染。对真菌分离株进行了显微镜、形态学和分子分析，其中一株绿僵菌ZHKUJGZ1显示出应用前景。试验表明，用1×10⁷ cfu/mL的ZHKUJGZ1接种红火蚁工蚁，死亡率为83.33±1.57%，LC50为8.36×10⁶ cfu/mL。非靶向代谢组学表明，ZHKUJGZ1通过破坏红火蚁的神经系统、信号传导、消化系统、氨基酸代谢和生物合成来增强杀虫活性。本研究强调了利用从东莞分离的绿僵菌等昆虫病原真菌作为控制红火蚁的有效策略的潜力，为农业害虫提供了一种有前景的生物防治选择。
