Isolation of a highly virulent Metarhizium strain targeting the tea pest, Ectropis obliqua

Zhao, Jinxin; Chen, Yuxi; Keyhani, Nemat O.; Li, Yichen; Pu, Huili; Li, Jincheng; Liu, Sen; Lai, Po-Yung; Zhu, Mengjia; He, Xin; Cai, Shouping; Guan, Xiayu; Qiu, Jian

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1164511

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In this study, M. phasmatodeae , first reported in Korea and previously documented in Thailand and China, has demonstrated pathogenicity for stick insects as hosts ( Thanakitpipattana et al, 2020 ; Zhao et al, 2023 ), suggesting its potential as a promising biocontrol agent. Our observation revealed that all insects inoculated with M. phasmatodeae succumbed within 5 days.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Survival dynamics of stick insect and the impact of environmental factors on natural fungal infection during the rainy season

Min,

Shin,

Lee

et al. 2024

Front. Microbiol.

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Phasmatodea, commonly known as stick insects, are recognized as noteworthy pests globally, impacting agriculture and forest ecosystems. Among them, the outbreak of Ramulus mikado has emerged as a notable concern in East Asian forests. Recently, Metarhizium phasmatodeae has been identified as utilizing stick insects as hosts. We have observed evidence of this entomopathogenic fungus infecting stick insects. Given the increase in these occurrences during the rainy period, this study investigated the relationship between the survival of R. mikado and the M. phasmatodeae infection during the rainy seasons of 2022 and 2023. We collected stick insects in two representative forests of the Republic of Korea and examined insect survival, fungal infection, and various environmental factors. No infections were detected in specimens collected in June before the rainy season, but from July onwards, both the mortality of R. mikado and the fungal infection substantially increased. By the last sampling date of each year, 75% (2022), 71.4% (2023) of the specimens were infected, and over 90% of the total individuals succumbed as a result. Fungi isolated from deceased R. mikado were successfully identified as M. phasmatodeae using morphological and taxonomic approaches. Various statistical analyses, including principal component analysis and modeling, revealed a robust association between fungal infection and the survival of stick insects. The results highlight the correlation between mass deaths of stick insects and fungal infection, particularly during the summer rainy season. These findings offer valuable insights for forecasting R. mikado population in the upcoming year and developing effective pest control strategies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Survival dynamics of stick insect and the impact of environmental factors on natural fungal infection during the rainy season

Min,

Shin,

Lee

et al. 2024

Front. Microbiol.

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“…Specifically, for the soil-mixing method, the LC 50 values for the late instar larvae were 1.83 × 10 7 and 3.76 × 10 2 conidia/ml at 7 and 11 DPI, respectively. In earlier studies involving M. pingshaense, the LC 50 values were 9.6 × 10 4 and 9.1 × 10 5 conidia/ml for the larvae of the moth species Ectropis obliqua and C. punctiferalis, respectively (Zhao et al 2023). However, comparing the results of different studies is complicated by the diversity in the fungal isolates, insect pests, inoculation methods, and incubation temperatures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Identification and biocontrol potential evaluation of a naturally occurring Metarhizium pingshaense isolate infecting tea weevil Myllocerinus aurolineatus Voss (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Fu,

Wang,

et al. 2023

Egypt J Biol Pest Control

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Background Tea weevil, Myllocerinus aurolineatus Voss (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an important insect pest in Chinese tea plantations. The primary method for controlling tea weevils involves the use chemical pesticides. Hence, there is an urgent need for environmentally friendly control strategies. To screen for potential pathogenic strains useful for the biocontrol of tea weevils, a naturally occurring Metarhizium pingshaense strain was isolated from a field-collected infected tea weevil larva for the first time in China. Results Morphological features and molecular characteristics revealed the isolate was an M. pingshaense strain, herein referred to as Ma0628. At 22 °C (tea weevil pupation temperature), the inoculation with M. pingshaense Ma0628 resulted in a corrected cumulative late instar larval mortality rate exceeding 76% at 11 days after the inoculation with the 1 × 108 conidia/ml spore suspension using the immersion or soil-mixing method. Accordingly, the median lethal concentrations were 4.49 × 103 and 3.76 × 102 conidia/ml for the immersion and soil-mixing inoculation methods, respectively. Furthermore, the corrected cumulative adult mortality rate reached 83.33% at 14 days after the inoculation with the 1 × 108 conidia/ml spore suspension. Conclusion The study results indicate that M. pingshaense strain Ma0628 is an entomopathogenic fungus pathogenic to tea weevil larvae and adults, suggesting it may be a potentially useful biocontrol agent for preventing M. aurolineatus infestations.

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“…Ectropis obliqua (Geometridae, Lepidoptera) is a severe leaf-feeding and polyphagous pest that feeds on a wide range of host plants, such as tea, soybean, sesame, and flowers . It is a lepidopteran moth species and is considered one of the most destructive insect pests of tea in China, , causing losses of more than 60% in tea yield and quality . As a result, E.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Safe and Effective Bacillus thuringiensis-Based Nanobiopesticide for Controlling Tea Pests

Pan,

Cao,

Guo

et al. 2024

J. Agric. Food Chem.

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Mg(OH) 2 was used as the nanocarrier of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac protein, and the synthesized Cry1Ac− Mg(OH) 2 composites were regular and uniform nanosheets. Nano-Mg(OH) 2 could effectively improve the insecticidal effect of the Cry1Ac protein toward Ectropis obliqua. It could enhance the damage degree of the Cry1Ac protein to intestinal epithelial cells and microvilli, induce and enrich the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the midgut, and enhance the degradation of the Cry1Ac protein into active fragments. Furthermore, an anti-rinsing assay showed that the Cry1Ac−Mg(OH) 2 composites were bound to the notch structure of the tea leaf surface. The retention of the Cry1Ac protein increased by 11.45%, and sprayed nano-Mg(OH) 2 was rapidly absorbed by different tissues of tea plants. Moreover, nano-Mg(OH) 2 and composites did not significantly affect non-target organisms. These results show that nano-Mg(OH) 2 can serve as a safe and effective biopesticide carrier, which provides a new approach for stable and efficient Bt preparation.

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Isolation of a highly virulent Metarhizium strain targeting the tea pest, Ectropis obliqua

Cited by 8 publications

References 49 publications

Survival dynamics of stick insect and the impact of environmental factors on natural fungal infection during the rainy season

Survival dynamics of stick insect and the impact of environmental factors on natural fungal infection during the rainy season

Identification and biocontrol potential evaluation of a naturally occurring Metarhizium pingshaense isolate infecting tea weevil Myllocerinus aurolineatus Voss (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Development of a Safe and Effective Bacillus thuringiensis-Based Nanobiopesticide for Controlling Tea Pests

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