Pathological and Physiological Responses of Ring-Necked Pheasant Chicks Following Dietary Exposure to the Fungus Metarhizium Flavoviride, a Biocontrol Agent for Locusts in Africa

Abstract

Metarhizium flavoviride, a fungal pathogen of grasshoppers and locusts, appears to be an effective, non-chemical insecticide (mycoinsecticide) for control of grasshoppers and locusts. This study, conducted during June and July, 1997, examined the pathogenic potential of this entomopathogenic fungus to non-target avian species that encounter infected insect prey items or contaminated food sources. Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) chicks were exposed to one of three diets, (spore-coated feed, infected insects, or untreated feed), either from 4 to 9 days of age, or, from 35 to 40 days of age. Necropsies were conducted on birds 10 days and 46 days old, respectively. Neither consumption of infected insects, nor of spore-coated feed, resulted in pathological changes, or significant changes in weight, growth rate, behavior, or mortality rate. Histological examination of organs indicated either no changes related to treatment, or normal tissue responses to antigenic challenge.

Safety of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. to Gallus domesticus L.

“…Furlan and Macari (2002) related that in both chickens and turkeys, when markers were used to the food, these were found in the feces around three hours after the ingestion, and after 24 h all markers were recovered. However, Smits et al (1999) disagreed with these results, mentioning that they did not observe M. flavoridae conidia in the feces of pheasants treated with this fungus in its food. Johnson et al (2002), evaluating the same species (P. colchicus), were not able to find other fungi than Mucor and Penicillium when analyzing feces and blood of the birds fed with B. bassiana and M. anisopliae.…”

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND GROWTH OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED INSECTS OR CONIDIA OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum AND Beauveria bassiana , FROM MADAGASCAR AND NORTH AMERICA

“…Uniform, day-old, ring-necked pheasant chicks were obtained from massreared broods at the Brooks Wildlife Center (Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife, Brooks, AB, Canada), using the same methods and source of birds used in previous and subsequent avian toxicity tests with grasshopper insecticides (Martin et al, 1996;Smits et al, 1999). Chicks were maintained in the Controlled Environment Barn, Agriculture Canada Research Facility, Lethbridge, AB, and fed unmedicated duckling starter (21% duck and goose starter crumbles, Unifeed, Lethbridge, AB-21% protein, 3% crude fat, 5% crude fiber, supplemented with vitamins A, D, E) until being exposed to the challenge diets.…”

Discovery of a North American genetic variant of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae pathogenic to grasshoppers

“…More work is required to determine host specificity of the native fungus, since there is no indication of the entomopathogen's host range, because it was isolated from soil; however, safety to ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus (Galliforma: Phasianidae), exposed to a closely related strain of M. anisopliae var. acridum, was previously demonstrated in a Canadian study (Johnson et al 2002;Smits et al 1999).…”

“…acridum IMI 330189 fell within the range of reported values between 4 and 6 days in bioassays of laboratory stocks of acridids infected with M. anisopliae var. acridum in previous studies (Smits et al 1999;Bateman et al 1996;David Hunter, pers. comm.).…”