Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity
Some ant species cause severe ecological and health impact in urban areas. Many attempts have been tested to control such species, although they do not always succeed. Biological control is an alternative to chemical control and has gained great prominence in research, and fungi and nematodes are am...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/975069 |
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| author | Maria Fernanda Miori de Zarzuela Luis Garrigós Leite José Eduardo Marcondes Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos |
| author_facet | Maria Fernanda Miori de Zarzuela Luis Garrigós Leite José Eduardo Marcondes Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos |
| author_sort | Maria Fernanda Miori de Zarzuela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Some ant species cause severe ecological and health impact in urban areas. Many attempts have been tested to control such species, although they do not always succeed. Biological control is an alternative to chemical control and has gained great prominence in research, and fungi and nematodes are among the successful organisms controlling insects. This study aimed to clarify some questions regarding the biological control of ants. Invasive ant species in Brazil had their nests evaluated for the presence of entomopathogens. Isolated entomopathogens were later applied in colonies of Monomorium floricola under laboratory conditions to evaluate their effectiveness and the behavior of the ant colonies after treatment. The entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis sp. and Steinernema sp. and the fungi Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Paecilomyces sp. were isolated from the invasive ant nests. M. floricola colonies treated with Steinernema sp. and Heterorhabditis sp. showed a higher mortality of workers than control. The fungus Beauveria bassiana caused higher mortality of M. floricola workers. However, no colony reduction or elimination was observed in any treatment. The defensive behaviors of ants, such as grooming behavior and colony budding, must be considered when using fungi and nematodes for biological control of ants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-261fcb496d2b42a3ad3b287748cedd3b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-261fcb496d2b42a3ad3b287748cedd3b2025-02-03T05:50:59ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/975069975069Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their PathogenicityMaria Fernanda Miori de Zarzuela0Luis Garrigós Leite1José Eduardo Marcondes2Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos3Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, 013506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Controle Biológico, Instituto Biológico, Rodovia Heitor Penteado, Km 3, 13092-593 Campinas, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Controle Biológico, Instituto Biológico, Rodovia Heitor Penteado, Km 3, 13092-593 Campinas, SP, BrazilUnidade Laboratorial de Referência em Pragas Urbanas, Instituto Biológico, Avenida Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, 1252, 04014-002 São Paulo, SP, BrazilSome ant species cause severe ecological and health impact in urban areas. Many attempts have been tested to control such species, although they do not always succeed. Biological control is an alternative to chemical control and has gained great prominence in research, and fungi and nematodes are among the successful organisms controlling insects. This study aimed to clarify some questions regarding the biological control of ants. Invasive ant species in Brazil had their nests evaluated for the presence of entomopathogens. Isolated entomopathogens were later applied in colonies of Monomorium floricola under laboratory conditions to evaluate their effectiveness and the behavior of the ant colonies after treatment. The entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis sp. and Steinernema sp. and the fungi Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Paecilomyces sp. were isolated from the invasive ant nests. M. floricola colonies treated with Steinernema sp. and Heterorhabditis sp. showed a higher mortality of workers than control. The fungus Beauveria bassiana caused higher mortality of M. floricola workers. However, no colony reduction or elimination was observed in any treatment. The defensive behaviors of ants, such as grooming behavior and colony budding, must be considered when using fungi and nematodes for biological control of ants.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/975069 |
| spellingShingle | Maria Fernanda Miori de Zarzuela Luis Garrigós Leite José Eduardo Marcondes Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity |
| title_full | Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity |
| title_fullStr | Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity |
| title_short | Entomopathogens Isolated from Invasive Ants and Tests of Their Pathogenicity |
| title_sort | entomopathogens isolated from invasive ants and tests of their pathogenicity |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/975069 |
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