Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus widely used to control different insect pests including Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae), a key pest of citrus and mangoes. Currently, to control this pest, sterile A. ludens males of the Tap‐7 genetic sexing strain are released weekly by aircraft at a density of 1,000 males/ha as part of an integrated pest management programme (IPM) in Southern Mexico. Our objective here was to determine whether the sterile insect technique (SIT) could be enhanced by augmenting it with horizontal transmission of fungus conidia by using Beauveria bassiana disseminator devices (DBb) designed to distribute it with minimal impact on non‐target species. Four treatments were established: DBb only, DBb + SIT, SIT only and untreated control, and fruit fly populations were monitored using two Multilure traps baited with 250 ml of CeraTrap per plot. We found that the presence of B. bassiana disseminator devices in areas where A. ludens sterile males were released resulted in higher proportions of infected wild fruit flies in the field, and that high relative humidity (rainy season) played an important role in the efficiency of horizontal conidia transmission to the wild populations. We conclude that the simultaneous use of both strategies (SIT + DBb) increases the conidia transmission to wild populations, and that this approach could be incorporated to an integrated pest management for the better suppression of fruit fly populations.

中文翻译：

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同时使用 SIT 和球孢白僵菌的传播装置可增强按实实蝇的水平传播

白僵菌是一种昆虫病原真菌，广泛用于控制不同的害虫，包括实心实蝇（双翅目：实蝇科），柑橘和芒果的主要害虫。目前，为了控制这种害虫，作为墨西哥南部综合害虫管理计划 (IPM) 的一部分，每周通过飞机以 1,000 只雄性/公顷的密度从飞机上释放 Tap-7 遗传性鉴定菌株的不育雄性 A. ludens。我们的目标是确定昆虫不育技术 (SIT) 是否可以通过使用白僵菌传播装置 (DBb) 增加真菌分生孢子的水平传播来增强它，该装置旨在以对非目标物种的影响最小的方式进行传播。建立了四种处理：仅 DBb、DBb + SIT、仅 SIT 和未处理对照、使用两个以 250 毫升 CeraTrap 为诱饵的 Multilure 诱捕器监测果蝇和果蝇种群。我们发现，在释放 A. ludens 不育雄性的区域中存在 B. bassiana 传播器设备导致该领域受感染的野生果蝇比例更高，而高相对湿度（雨季）在效率方面发挥了重要作用分生孢子向野生种群的水平传播。我们得出的结论是，同时使用这两种策略 (SIT + DBb) 会增加分生孢子向野生种群的传播，并且这种方法可以纳入综合害虫管理，以更好地抑制果蝇种群。ludens 不育雄性被释放导致田间受感染的野生果蝇比例更高，而高相对湿度（雨季）在分生孢子向野生种群的水平传播效率方面发挥了重要作用。我们得出的结论是，同时使用这两种策略 (SIT + DBb) 会增加分生孢子向野生种群的传播，并且这种方法可以纳入综合害虫管理，以更好地抑制果蝇种群。ludens 不育雄性被释放导致田间受感染的野生果蝇比例更高，而高相对湿度（雨季）在分生孢子向野生种群的水平传播效率方面发挥了重要作用。我们得出的结论是，同时使用这两种策略 (SIT + DBb) 会增加分生孢子向野生种群的传播，并且这种方法可以纳入综合害虫管理，以更好地抑制果蝇种群。