Hassan Hammad, Hassan Ali, Raza Taqi, Ding Jinli, Ali Arshad, Huang Qiuying, Lu Min
State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
J Invertebr Pathol. 2025 Nov;213:108419. doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2025.108419. Epub 2025 Aug 6.
Termites play a dual ecological role as vital decomposers and significant pests that cause economic damage globally. In China, Reticulitermes chinensis is a prevalent subterranean termite species managed primarily through chemical termiticides, which pose environmental and health risks. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), particularly Beauveria bassiana, offer a promising alternative due to their eco-friendly targeted approach to pest control. This study investigated the effects of B. bassiana on various behaviors (allogrooming, trophallaxis, vibration, cannibalism, burial, locomotion, and foraging) and the survival of R. chinensis. Termites exposed to higher fungal concentrations (10 conidia/ml) showed significantly increased allogrooming and vibration behaviors, while trophallaxis remained unaffected. Burial behavior was significantly more pronounced in response to fungus-killed termites compared to controls (cadavers killed by freezing), though cannibalism showed no significant difference between the two dead cadaver types. Locomotion analysis revealed that exposure to B. bassiana reduced distance moved and velocity, while increasing turn angle and angular velocity, as measured at 24 and 48 h after fungal exposure. Foraging activity after infection was notably disrupted, with reduced time spent and fewer visits to food zones. Mortality was dose-dependent in individually caged termites, but no significant survival differences were observed when termites were caged with nestmates, suggesting potential social buffering effects. These findings demonstrate that B. bassiana not only impacts termite survival but also alters behaviors, highlighting its potential as a biological control agent. However, termite behavioral defenses may mitigate fungal spread, necessitating further investigation into optimizing fungal pathogenicity within social insect colonies.
白蚁在生态系统中扮演着双重角色，既是重要的分解者，也是造成全球经济损失的重大害虫。在中国，黑胸散白蚁是一种常见的地下白蚁物种，主要通过化学杀虫剂进行防治，而化学杀虫剂会带来环境和健康风险。昆虫病原真菌（EPF），尤其是球孢白僵菌，因其对害虫控制的生态友好型靶向方法而提供了一种有前景的替代方案。本研究调查了球孢白僵菌对黑胸散白蚁各种行为（互舐、交哺、振动、同类相食、埋葬、移动和觅食）以及存活率的影响。暴露于较高真菌浓度（10个分生孢子/毫升）的白蚁互舐和振动行为显著增加，而交哺行为未受影响。与对照组（冷冻杀死的尸体）相比，对真菌杀死的白蚁做出的埋葬行为明显更显著，尽管两种死亡尸体类型之间的同类相食没有显著差异。移动分析表明，暴露于球孢白僵菌后，在真菌暴露后24小时和48小时测量，移动距离和速度降低，而转角和角速度增加。感染后的觅食活动明显受到干扰，在食物区域花费的时间减少且访问次数减少。在单独饲养的白蚁中，死亡率呈剂量依赖性，但当白蚁与巢伴一起饲养时，未观察到显著的存活差异，这表明存在潜在的社会缓冲效应。这些发现表明，球孢白僵菌不仅影响白蚁的存活，还改变其行为，凸显了其作为生物防治剂的潜力。然而，白蚁的行为防御可能会减轻真菌传播，因此需要进一步研究如何在社会性昆虫群体中优化真菌致病性。
