Effects of purpureocillium lilacinum (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) on food consumption and sexual behavior of Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae) fruit flies

Purpureocillium lilacinum is an entomopathogenic fungus. An experiment was conducted to see the sublethal effects of P. lilacinum on Anastrepha ludens adults. The infection of P. lilacinum reduced daily food consumption per fly ranging from 4.25 ± 0.28 to 6.44 ± 0.27 µl for infected flies, and from 6.30 ± 0.28 to 7.81 ± 0.22 µl for non-infected control flies. The age of treatment in males showed a significant effect on their ability to mate (χ² = 5.32, P < 0.02). Early stage infection (4 days-old), reduced the male mating propensity significantly (10 ± 0.46 treated to 15.4 ± 0.26 untreated, F 8, 5.94 = 5.592, P < 0.01), compared to later stage (8 days-old) insignificant effect. No effect of fungal infection on an ability of male to inseminate the females was noticed, as fertility of the females mated with infected males was not declined. An inoculated single female (mixture of talc and P. lilacinum) was able to transmit conidia to four groups of 10 males within four days. Males exposed to females on the first day acquired in average 1.7 ⋅ 106 , on the second day 1.7 ⋅ 105 , on the third day 7.3 × 104 and the fourth day 3.5 ⋅ 104 conidia/ male; which resulted 67.5, 55.0, 20.0, and 7.5 % male mortality, respectively. Our study demonstrated that horizontal transmission through copulation could be used to suppress A. ludens populations.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Toledo Hernández, Ricardo Alberto Doctor autor 12572, Toledo, Jorge Doctor autor 5445, Liedo Fernández, Pablo Doctor autor 67, Holguín Meléndez, Francisco Doctor autor 2086, Valle Mora, Javier Francisco Maestro autor 10513, Huerta Palacios, Graciela Doctora autora 2084
Format: Texto biblioteca
Language:eng
Subjects:Anastrepha ludens, Moscas de la fruta, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Hongos entomopatógenos, Conducta sexual, Control biológico de plagas, Artfrosur,
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-020-00414-2
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