Screening of Fungi for Biological Control of a Triatomine Vector of Chagas Disease: Temperature and Trypanosome Infection as Factors.

ABSTRACT: Entomopathogenic fungi have been investigated as an alternative tool for controlling various insects, including triatomine vectors of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Here we tested the pathogenicity and virulence of ten isolates of the fungi Metarhizium spp. and Beauveria bassiana against Rhodnius prolixus and found all of the isolates to be virulent. We used two isolates (URPE-11 Metarhizium anisopliae and ENT-1 Beauveria bassiana) for further screening based on their prolific sporulation in vitro (an important property of fungal biopesticides). We characterized their virulences in a dose-response experiment and then examined virulence across a range of temperatures (21, 23, 27 and 30°C). We found isolate ENT-1 to maintain higher levels of virulen

SUBMITTER: Garcia AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5113868 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature