Effect of host plant on susceptibility of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) |
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| Authors: | Aref Olleka Nasser Mandour |
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| Institution: | 1. Engineering Research Center of Biological Control, Ministry of Education, College of Natural Resource and Environment , South China Agricultural University , Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510642, China;2. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture , Suez Canal University , Ismailia, Egypt |
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| Abstract: | We determined host plant effect on susceptibility of whitefly Bemisia tabaci to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana under controlled conditions. Insects were reared on cucumber, eggplant, tomato or cabbage. Fungal suspensions of 1×104, 105, 106, 107 and 108 conidia/mL were applied on second-instar nymphs. Nymphal survival significantly differed among different host plant species on which the nymphs were reared. Ten days after inoculation with 1×108 conidia/mL, percent survival was 4.2±0.7, 9.6±0.4, 13.4±0.8, and 24.3±0.9% on cucumber, eggplant, tomato and cabbage, respectively. Average survival times of nymphs were also significantly influenced by host plant species. After inoculation with 1×108 conidia/mL, survival times were 4.8±0.15, 6.0±0.11, 5.7±0.13, and 6.2±0.08 days for nymphs reared on cucumber, eggplant, tomato, and cabbage, respectively. Virulence also differed depending on host plant species; 10 days after inoculation, LC50 values were 4.6×104, 1.6×105, 4.2×105 and 2.1×106 conidia/mL on cucumber, eggplant, tomato and cabbage, respectively. Nymphs on cucumber showed highest susceptibility. |
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| Keywords: | Beauveria bassiana Bemisia tabaci host plant susceptibility average survival time pathogenicity biological control entomopathogenic fungi |
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