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Low Persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis Serovar israelensis Spores in Four Mosquito Biotopes of a Salt Marsh in Southern France

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Abstract

We studied the persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (Bti) in a typical breeding site of the mosquito Ochlerotatus caspius in a particularly sensitive salt marsh ecosystem following two Bti-based larvicidal applications (Vectobac®12AS, 1.95 L/ha). The treated area was composed of four larval biotopes that differed in terms of the most representative plant species (Sarcocornia fruticosa, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Phragmites australis, and Juncus maritimus) and the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. We sampled water, soil, and plants at various times before and after the applications (from spring to autumn, 2001) and quantified the spores of B. thuringiensis (Bt) and Bacillus species. The B. cereus group accounted for between 0% and 20% of all Bacillus spp. before application depending on the larval biotope. No Bti were found before application. The variation in the quantity of bacilli during the mosquito breeding season depended more on the larval biotope than on the season or the larvicidal application. More bacilli were found in soil (104–106 spores/g) than on plant samples (102–104 spores/g). The abundance in water (105 to 107 spores/L) appeared to be correlated to the water level of the breeding site. The number of Bti spores increased just after application, after declining; no spores were detected in soil or water 3 months after application. However, low numbers of Bti spores were present on foliage from three of the four studied plant strata. In conclusion, the larvicidal application has very little impact on Bacillus spp. flora after one breeding season (two applications).

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Notes

  1. Entente Interdépartementale pour la Démoustication du littoral méditerranéen, Interdepartmental alliance for mosquito control along the French Mediterranean coastline, http://www.eid-med.org.

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Acknowledgments

We thank G. Metge and J.-F. Charles for their help in establishing this study. We thank J.-A. Rioux and J. Cousserans for help in revising the manuscript. We deeply appreciate the help of Pr. J.-P. Legros for the soil profile description. We are grateful to Alex Edelman & Associates and O. Moussiegt for help in translation and correction of the manuscript. We thank Nicolas Sidos for help in doing the digital elevation model and advice about geographical localization. M. Hajaij received financial support from the Ministry of Higher Education, Tunisia.

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Author notes

  1. Myriam Hajaij

    Present address: Unité de Génétique Microbienne et Environnement La Minière, INRA, 78285, Guyancourt Cedex, France

  2. Isabelle Thiéry

    Present address: Biologie et Génétique du Paludisme, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, France

  3. Christina Nielsen-LeRoux

    Present address: Département Microbiologie Fondamental et Médicale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bactéries et Champignons Entomopathogènes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

    Myriam Hajaij, Isabelle Thiéry & Christina Nielsen-LeRoux

  2. Direction Recherche et Développement, EID Méditerranée, 165 Avenue Paul Rimbaud, 34184, Montpellier Cedex 4, France

    Alexandre Carron, Julien Deleuze, Bruno Gaven, Marie-Laure Setier-Rio, Gerard Vigo & Christophe Lagneau

  3. Unité de Génétique Microbienne et Environnement La Minière, INRA, 78285, Guyancourt Cedex, France

    Christina Nielsen-LeRoux

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  1. Myriam Hajaij
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Correspondence to Alexandre Carron.

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Hajaij, M., Carron, A., Deleuze, J. et al. Low Persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis Serovar israelensis Spores in Four Mosquito Biotopes of a Salt Marsh in Southern France. Microb Ecol 50, 475–487 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-005-0247-3

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