The First Study on Pathogenicity of Entomopathogenic Fungi

Beauveria bassiana to Control The Little Spruce Sawfiy Pristiphora abietina (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Türkey

Nurcan ALBAYRAK İSKENDER^a              Serkan ÖRTÜCÜ ^b

        Ayşegül SARAL^a                               Yaşar AKSU^c

^aArtvin Çoruh Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi Biyoloji Bölümü, Artvin

           Abstract

In the last years., the little spruce sawfly Pristiphora abietina (Christ.) is producing outbreak on spruce out of Savsat Forests in Artvin and there are no bedlogical methods to control over-populations. The P.abietina larvae were collected in Savsat Forests and B.bassiana isolates (PaF04, PaF09, PaF76) were isolated from P.abietina larvae in the previous study. Applications were performed by immersing the larvae in the conidial suspension (10⁷ conidia/ml) for 30 s. Controls consisted of larvae immersed in distilled water plus Tween 80.P.abietina larvae were transferred to plastic containers and were incubated 100% and 65+5% relative humidity (RH) with a 12:12 h photoperiod at 26+ 2⁰C. Mortality was recorded daily for a period of 5 days. Mortality caused by fungi was confirmed by microscopic examination of spores on the surface of the larvae. Cumulative percentage mortality data from experiments were corrected for natural mortality using Abbott’s Formula. The experiments showed that the mortality by B. bassiana generally increased with higher humidity conditions. 100% RH resulted 100% mortality for all fungal isolates. LT₅₀ and LT₉₀ values varied between 1.85+0.30  and 4.47+0.66 days, respectively. But in the 65+5% RH, fungal isolates tested were pathogenic to the P.abietina larvae causing mortality between 49.1+4.52% and 91.1+7.2% and was significantly different between the isolates (p<0.05). This study demonstrates the prospects of B.bassiana for the management of P.abietina under laboratory conditions.

Key words: Pristiphora abietina, Beauveria bassiana, Biological control, Entomopathogenic fungi

Yayın yeri: Albayrak, İskender, N.; Örtücü ,S.; Saral,A.; Aksu, Y.; The First Study on Pathogenicity of Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria bassiana to Control The Little Spruce Sawfiy Pristiphora abietina (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Türkey. 4^th International Participated Entomopathogens and Microbial Control Symposium, 2013 Bildiri Özetleri Kitabı sayfa 37. Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Artvin Türkey.