Abstract
Field survey showed that the fungusBeauveria bassiana Vuillemin was the predominant natural enemy ofSitona discoideus Gyllenhal larvae and pupae in the Mediterranean region. The present area of distribution of the disease does not, however, include the parts of North Africa, Cyprus, Syria and Iraq with a Mediterranean climate. At localities regularly investigated in southern France over the period 1973–79, the population dynamics of larvalSitona on volunteerMedicato species appeared to be correlated to some extent with the impact of the fungal disese, which could produce up to 100% mortality on its host larval populations.
Several isolates of the pathogen were tested in laboratory bioassays to determine their potential activity. One accession from southern France proved particularly virulent toS. discoideus larvae and pupae at the relatively low concentration of 105 conidia/g of soil. This accession seemed worth considering for further quarantine testing and introduction into Australia. Differences between isolates were however confounded by varying ages of the cultures involved.
Résumé
Les recherches entreprises de 1973 à 1984 ont montré que le champignon entomophatogèneBeauveria bassiana Vuillemin était largement répandu sur larves deSitona spp. en rǵeion méditerranéenne. Il y fait toutefois défaut (tableau 2) dans les zones pastorales d'Afrique du Nord, de Chypre, de Syrie et d'Irak. La mortalité larvaire due à cette mycose parait en mesure d'influencer l'évolution dynamique des populations deSitona discoideus Gyllenhal (tableau 3). En effet,B. bassiana est susceptible d'affecteur jusqu'à 100% des larves deS. discoiduus s'attaquant aux dieverses espèces deMedicago, suivant les sites considérés en France méditerranéenne.
Lors de tests en laboratoire une souche méridionale deB. bassiana s'est révélée paritculièrement infectieuse à des doses relativement faibles, de l'ordre de 105 conidies par gramme de terre (tableau 4). Une telle virulence perment d'envisager d'éventuelles applications de plein champ contreS. discoideus en Australie méridionale. Une expérimentation plus détaillée est`a prévoir, qui devra cependant tenir compte d'un affaiblissement graduel du pouvoir infectieux des isolats au cours de leur conservation en mycothéque.
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Aeschlimann, J.P., Ferron, P., Marchal, M. et al. Occurrence and pathogenicity ofBeauveria bassiana infesting larvalSitona discoideus [Col.: Curculionidae] in the Mediterranean region. Entomophaga 30, 73–82 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372286
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372286