Abstract:
【Objective】 To screen out the entomopathogenic fungi with high pathogenicity to the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren, which could provide candidate strains for the biological control of
Solenopsis invicta Buren. 【Method】 Taking four strains of
Beauveria bassiana (ZG5, HHY-B, Bb040, CP728), and two strains of
Purpureocillium lilacinum (HHY-M, LYC1), one strain of
Metarhizium anisopliae (ZG30), and one strain of
Metarhizium rileyi (CDTNN2) as the research materials, and the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren as the research objects, the pathogenicity of each strain against the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren were determined respectively by the immersion method at concentrations of 1.0×10
4, 1.0×10
5, 1.0×10
6, 1.0×10
7, and 1.0×10
8 spore/mL in the laboratory. The lethal concentration effect and lethal time effect of each strain to the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren was analyzed. 【Result】 Eight strains of entomopathogenic fungi were pathogenic to both the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren, and the corrected mortality rates of larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren gradually increased with the increase of the spore concentration of the strains. Among them, four strains of
Beauveria bassiana (ZG5, HHY-B, Bb040, CP728) had strong virulence to the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren. The corrected mortality rates of larvae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren
were 100.00%, 95.19%, 92.75%, and 93.46%, infection rates were 93.33%, 94.35%, 89.26%, and 85.56%,median lethal concentration (LT
50) were 2.14, 1.86, 2.32, and 3.20 d respectively, after treated with 1.0×10
8 spores /mL for 10 d. And the corrected mortality rates of pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren
were 100.00%, 97.35%, 96.84%, and 95.57%, infection rates were 95.44%, 96.61%, 91.48%, and 85.56%, LT
50 were 2.15, 1.54, 2.12, and 2.98 d respectively. Dose-effect analysis indicated that median lethal concentration (LC
50) of
Beauveria bassia-na ZG5, HHY-B, Bb040, and CP728 against
Solenopsis invicta Buren larvae was 0.22×10
5, 8.05×10
5, 1.52×10
5, and 2.83×10
5 spore/mL, the LC
50 for pupae was 0.14×10
5, 0.31×10
5, 1.48×10
5, and 1.38×10
5 spore/mL respectively. 【Conclusion】
Beauveria bassiana strains ZG5, HHY-B, Bb040 and CP728 all exhibits strong pathogenic activity against the larvae and pupae of
Solenopsis invicta Buren. They have high potential for application in the biological control of
Solenopsis invicta Buren and can be regarded as potential bacterial resources for the biological control of
Solenopsis invicta Buren.