Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner 1915 (Bt) is an entomopathogenic bacterium used to control insect pest worldwide. During its life cycle, Bt produces different insecticidal proteins, among which Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) and Crystal proteins (Cry) are the most commercially used. Although large number of Bt toxins have been reported, only few of them (such as Cry1Ca and Vip3Aa) showed toxicity

Parthenium hysterophorus is an invasive weed that poses significant threats to crop production, biodiversity, human and animal health. Few experiments have been carried out to test the effectiveness of biological control agents such as the beetle Zygogramma bicolorata against this invasive. We released Z. bicolorata beetles as bio-agent to control P. hysterophorus at the Tropical Pesticides Research

Two Arundo donax biological control agents, Tetramesa romana, the arundo wasp, and Rhizaspidiotus donacis, the arundo scale, have been established in Texas, USA and Morelos, Mexico for ten years. A survey was conducted in these areas to determine if there was any use of non-target plant species, especially where the biological control agents occurred at high densities. We found no non-target use in

The false carmine cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae has been originally used as biological control agent of the prickly pear cactus Opuntia ficus-indica Miller, considered as an exotic invasive species in many countries including Spain. However, the extremely high level of infestation has resulted in great inconvenience to the population of local residents and a serious threat to wipe out a plant that

Traditionally, the soil has been considered the main reservoir of entomopathogenic mitosporic ascomycetes (AMEs) together with the insect populations that they regulate, whereas mostly during the XXI century, the association of AMEs with the plants playing additional ecological roles, in the rhizosphere, in phylloplane, and as plant endophytes has been highlighted. The endophytic behaviour of AMEs

The success of biological control of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, with commercial products based on C. pomonella granulovirus (CpGV) isolates relies both on the ingestion of a sufficient amount of occlusion bodies (OBs) between their hatching from the egg and the penetration inside the fruits, and the correct replication of the virus in the insect larvae. Larvae resistant to one isolate, CpGV-M

This study isolated and determined the functional characteristics of bacterial flora associated with mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) and their application as a bio-control agent. Second and fourth nymphal instars of the papaya mealybug were used for the isolation of the bacteria. These isolates were assessed for chitinolytic, protease, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities as well as mealybug

Life history and damage potential of the fruit fly, Dacus persicus Hendel, a prospective biological control agent for calotrope, Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton, are described. The duration of life cycle of D. persicus (egg to the adult) was 42.2 ± 0.38 days (range 38–50 days). Oviposition commenced 5.1 ± 0.2 days after emergence and each female infested 4.5 ± 0.2 fruits during its lifespan.

An in vitro study was conducted to screen for the inhibitory potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), isolated from fermented food matrices, against the honeybee American Foulbrood agent Paenibacillus larvae. Various strains of Lactobacillus plantarum showed significant antagonism associated with their cell-free culture supernatant (CFS). The characterisation of this inhibition was based on assays

In this study, the biocontrol ability of bacterial antagonists of fungal pathogens, B. thuringiensis KYC and B. velezensis CE 100 was investigated for the inhibition of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, and subsequent growth promotion of tomato. Based on the results of dual-culture assay, both Bacillus strains showed antagonistic activities against six different phytopathogenic fungi. The

Parasitoids of Muscidifurax spp. are of great value in the biological control of Musca domestica, a harmful pest. In this study, the life tables of two newly discovered parasitoid wasps, M. similadanacus and M. sinesensilla (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), were constructed using pupae of M. domestica as the host at 25°C in the laboratory. The parameters of the life tables were calculated and analysed.

The nematicidal effect of Purpureocillium lilacinum strain 251 and a formulated product containing chitosan was recorded against second stage juveniles (J2s) and eggs of Meloidogyne javanica. There was a significant gradual decrease in the number of J2s survival as the chitosan concentration increased. The survival of J2s and hatching of eggs of Meloidogyne javanica were influenced by the presence

Powdery mildew is a detrimental foliar disease of sweet cherry trees. The disease is predominantly managed by spraying synthetic fungicides throughout the growing season. The emergence of resistant powdery mildew populations, to some commonly used synthetic fungicides, highlights the need for research into alternative control methods. Between 2012 and 2015, the efficacy of two different biofungicides

This study was conducted to investigate the presence of native antagonistic bacteria from compost and to evaluate their ability to suppress Pythium and Fusarium-induced damping-off of cucumber. Seven bacterial strains isolated from compost were screened for their in vitro antagonism against Pythium aphanidermatum and Fusarium solani. Out of these, two strains designated as ISO1 and ISO2 showed significant

Efficient prey or host search mechanisms are crucial for natural enemies’ survival and reproduction, and arthropod natural enemies may use chemical, visual, contact, and vibratory stimuli either in single or multiple sensory modes to find appropriate habitat or food source. Visual cues are more precise and are perceived at longer range than other modalities and thus are used by various predators and

The pathogenicity of fifteen isolates of Beauveria bassiana against German cockroach (Blattella germanica, Linnaeus, 1767) at three instars was tested and analysed in order to find the best fungal isolate available for the mortality of cockroaches. For the bioassay, three groups of instars were inoculated with a spore suspension, and the subsequent mortality recorded, the response variable was the

Considering the importance of natural enemies in the integrated management programme of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), in the current study we evaluated the biocontrol potential of two predatory beetles Delphastus catalinae Horn and D. pallidus LeConte against Middle Eastern Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1 or biotype B) and Mediterranean (MED or biotype Q) whiteflies, the two most notorious representatives of the

An augmentative biological control strategy against Ceratitis capitata (= medfly) in fruit-producing irrigated-valleys of San Juan, central-western Argentina, has been recently implemented by the San Juan Fruit Fly Control and Eradication Program. The Asian-native parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is currently reared at the San Juan Medfly and Parasitoids Mass Rearing Facility for this purpose

Gall inducers are widely used as biocontrol agents to suppress the vegetative and reproductive growth of invasive weeds. Procecidochares utilis Stone (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a gall forming fly that was released as a biocontrol agent against the noxious invasive weed Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King and H. Robinson (Asterales: Asteraceae). However, the effectiveness of P. utilis in controlling

Invasion from giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell, Salviniaceae) blocks sunlight entering waterbodies, reducing submerged aquatic macrophytes, thus lowering dissolved oxygen and stressing aquatic organisms. Due to its rapid growth and ease of dispersal through fragmentation, giant salvinia can quickly become problematic and difficult to eradicate. Since invasion of giant salvinia is persistent

The light brown apple moth (LBAM) was first detected in Alameda County, California, USA, in fall of 2006, triggering a major government response aimed at containment and eradication. The augmentative release of resident egg parasitoids was highlighted among several control methods to prevent the spread of LBAM in California. Egg parasitoids in the genus Trichogramma are utilised worldwide for the control

Although the scientific literature is replete with reports that host and plant volatiles elicit behavioural responses in Trichogramma, most do not compare the relative importance of olfaction, vision, or their interaction; this may be an oversight. We conducted experiments to evaluate whether vision, odour, or their interaction mediated host location by T. ostriniae over small spatial scales. T. ostriniae

When searching for hosts, parasitoids may experience competition between adults exploiting the same host (extrinsic), or between larvae developing inside the host (intrinsic competition). Differences in competitive abilities like host location and resource utilisation promote coexistence. In this sense, extrinsically superior parasitoids better locate hosts, and intrinsically superior ones can have

The soil is the most important environmental reservoir for nucleopolyhedrovirus occlusion bodies (OBs). We employed a diet + soil bioassay technique to demonstrate that the earthworm Amynthas gracilus was capable of vertical transport of Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV) occlusion bodies (OBs) under field conditions. Incubation of OBs with earthworms in sand did not adversely

Diatraea species are considered the most important insect pests in sugarcane crops in Colombia and other South America countries. Previous research demonstrated Beauveria bassiana isolate Bv062 to be pathogenic to larvae of Diatraea species under laboratory conditions. However, virulence of the isolate was variable, possibly affected by inoculum quality. The aim of this research was to select an appropriate

Host range expansion by parasitoids into a non-native host is a common ecological process in nature mediated by multiple factors. Here, we addressed whether foraging behaviour responses of parasitoids to the abundance of the different host species to which they are exposed is one mediating factor. We investigate the parasitism levels, the functional response and the switching behaviour of two strains

This study aims to utilise sericulture biowaste, i.e. waste silkworm pupae, for mass production of the predatory stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff). To achieve this, waste silkworm pupae were frozen and their suitability as a feed to E. furcellata was evaluated under laboratory conditions. The survival, development and biological fitness of the E. furcellata on silkworm pupae were determined

The parasitoid Peristenus relictus was established in California to help regulate Lygus species. This study surveyed the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast of California to determine this parasitoid’s current southern geographic range. Peristenus relictus recoveries were made in all sampled counties, including Santa Barbara and Ventura along the coast, and Tulare, Kings and Kern inland. Parasitism

Twelve Metarhizium isolates from Costa Rica, two from Honduras and one from Nicaragua were characterised using molecular and morphological information. Two gene sequences, TEF1-α and β-TUB, identified isolates as M. anisopliae, M. brunneum and M. robertsii, and has provided new sequence information. Eleven SSRs revealed fourteen different genotypes. Morphological variability coincided with allelic

Redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), is a neotropical pest of soybean in the southern United States and the Neotropical Americas. Two strains of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) were evaluated for potential control of redbanded stink bug. Four concentrations (104, 105, 106, and 107 spores/mL) of both a Mississippi Delta native strain (NI8) and a

Cannibalism within arthropod populations is widespread and can regulate populations. The relationships between larval cannibalism of the biological control agent Mallada basalis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and different factors, including feeding density, starvation time, food type and amount, temperature, humidity, and photoperiod, were studied. As feeding density, temperature, or photoperiod increased

Dendrothrips minowai Priesner (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is the main pest thrips in tea (Camellia sinensis) plantations in Guizhou Province, damaging tea shoots and leaves. In this study, we tested the control of the predatory mite Amblyseius cucumeris Oudermans and the ladybeetle Harmonia axyridis Pallas against D. minowai in the laboratory and tea plantations in Guizhou, China. The results showed

We evaluated the effects of Bt maize genotypes expressing different Bt proteins on Trichogramma pretiosum. The laboratory bioassays consisted of exposing T. pretiosum to leaf, stem, and pollen of Bt maize genotypes and isogenic lines. The reduction on parasitism was used to classify the treatments according to the IOBC scale. In all bioassays, the reduction on parasitism was lower than 30%, and the

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda is a key pest of maize in Africa including Tanzania. Field trials were conducted to determine the incidence of species of parasitoids and their rate of parasitism on selected IPM treatments. The experiment was conducted at crop Museum of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania for two cropping seasons and arranged in a split – split-plot design

Peanut southern blight caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is known to cause significant economic losses to peanut production worldwide. The bacterial strain LX11 isolated from the peanut (Arachis hypogaea) rhizosphere was identified as Bacillus pumilus based on its phenotypic features, 16S ribosomal RNA and β-subunit of DNA gyrase (gyrB) sequence. LX11 showed significant antimicrobial activities against

ABSTRACT Astigmatid mites have potential as supplementary prey items to support generalist predator populations in crops. However, applying living prey mites has some disadvantages; if not predated they have the potential to cause crop damage and allergies. In this study, we evaluated various diets based on the astigmatid mite Tyrophagous putrescentiae (Schrank) as a supplemental food source for the

(2018). Potential use of a group II alphabaculovirus isolated from Mamestra brassicae as a broad-spectrum biological pesticide. Biocontrol Science and Technology. Ahead of Print.