Efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi against the fruit fly Drosophila suzukii and their side effects on predator (Orius laevigatus) and pollinator (Bombus terrestris) insects

Chloé D. Galland;Lalaymia, Ismahen;Declerck, Stephan;François Verheggen
(2023) Entomologia Generalis : journal of general and applied entomology — Vol. 43, n° 6, p. 1203-1210 (2023)

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Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are insecticide alternatives for pest control. Their ability to easily adhere and quickly penetrate the insect cuticle is a key factor for their selection, which has received too little consideration so far. Here, we evaluated the impact of five EPF on the survival of Drosophila suzukii, a worldwide invasive pest of softskinned fruits. The most efficient EPF was then selected, and a second efficacy assay was performed by exposing D. suzukii adults to the EPF for different durations: 10 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour and 3 hours. Finally, EPF safety was assessed on two non-target beneficial insects frequently encountered in the same crops affected by D. suzukii, namely Orius laevigatus and Bombus terrestris. We found Beauvaria bassiana to be the most efficient EPF, killing over 95% of the flies within 10 days. The exposure time impacted the mortality rates: 50% of the flies died within 4 days after a 3-hours exposure to B. bassiana, whereas 6 days were needed to reach the same result with 10 seconds of exposure. Whatever the exposure time, this EPF always needed ten days to be lethal for more than 95% of individuals. Beauvaria bassiana was not lethal for the non-target species. Thus, B. bassiana is an option to control D. suzukii without harming beneficial insects. Further studies are now needed under real cultivation conditions to assess whether B. bassiana can be included in biocontrol strategies against D. suzukii.
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Chloé D. Galland, Lalaymia, I., Declerck, S., & François Verheggen. (2023). Efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi against the fruit fly Drosophila suzukii and their side effects on predator (Orius laevigatus) and pollinator (Bombus terrestris) insects. Entomologia Generalis : journal of general and applied entomology, 43(6), 1203-1210. https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2023/2192 (Original work published 2023)