Host age and pathogen exposure level as factors in the susceptibility of the house fly,Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) to Beauveria bassiana |
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Authors: | Phillip E. Kaufman Lois A. Wood Jeffrey I. Goldberg Stefan J. Long Donald A. Rutz |
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Affiliation: | 1. Entomology and Nematology Department , University of Florida , Gainesville, FL, USA;2. Department of Entomology, Comstock Hall , Cornell University , Ithaca, NY, USA |
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Abstract: | Adult house flies, Musca domestica L., of four ages, <1, 3, 7, and 14 day post-eclosion, were exposed to three strains of Beauveria bassiana (P89, L90 and 447). Flies were exposed to moistened filter paper treated with either a low (1.57×104 conidia/cm2) or high (1.57×105 conidia/cm2) concentration of each fungal strain for 6 h. Strain 447 was superior to the two house fly-derived B. bassiana strains in inducing host infection and mortality. Significant spikes in infection and mortality occurred as early as 5 days post-exposure with higher concentration exposures acting more quickly. Few differences were observed in either infection or mortality among the four fly age classes. On Day 10 post-exposure, 77% of the high-concentration, 447-exposed flies were infected, compared with only 24% of the flies from the P89 low-concentration exposure. Potential applications of these results in integrated house fly management programs are discussed. |
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Keywords: | insecta house fly Musca domestica Beauveria bassiana entomopathogenic fungus biological control |
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