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Insecticidal Activity of Bacillus spp. from Soil Samples in Pakistan Against the House Fly, Musca domestica

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Abstract

Soil samples collected from six localities in Pakistan—Peshawar, Quetta, Loralai, Sibi, Lahore and Sheikhupura—were screened for insecticidal Bacillus spp. Bacillus coagulans, B. megaterium and B. alvei, which constituted 50%, 33% and 17% of the Bacillus isolates respectively, were isolated and their toxicity was evaluated against larvae of the house fly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae). The most toxic bacterial isolate of the three was B. alvei (98.7% mortality) and the least toxic was B. megaterium (89.3% mortality). Extracts of experimental larvae showed the presence of strains of the respective species of Bacillus in all cases, indicating that the observed mortality in the house flies was caused by the Bacillus species.

Résumé

Des échantillons de sol prélevés dans six localités (Peshawar, Quetta, Loralai, Sibi, Lahore et Sheikhupura) au Pakistan ont été analysés afin d’y déceler des espèces de Bacillus spp. à pouvoir entomopathogène. Les isolats qui étaient constitués de 50% de Bacillus coagidans, 33% de B. megaterium et de 17% de B. alvei étaient testés pour leur toxicité vis-à-vis de la mouche domestique, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae). L’isolât de B. alvei était le plus virulent des trois et il causait une mortalité de 98, 7%, tandis que l’isolât de B. megaterium était le moins toxique avec une mortalité de 89, 3%. Dans tous les cas examinés, les extraits obtenus des larves testées ont révélé la présence de souches de bacilles de trois espèces précitées. Ceci indique que la mortalité observée chez la mouche domestique était attribuable à ces trois espèces de Bacillus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology University of the Punjab, Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, New Campus, Lahore, 54560, Pakistan

    A. R. Shakoori, Salma Afroz & Nazia Khurshid

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  1. A. R. Shakoori
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  2. Salma Afroz
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  3. Nazia Khurshid
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Correspondence to A. R. Shakoori.

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Shakoori, A.R., Afroz, S. & Khurshid, N. Insecticidal Activity of Bacillus spp. from Soil Samples in Pakistan Against the House Fly, Musca domestica. Int J Trop Insect Sci 18, 301–306 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1017/S174275840001852X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S174275840001852X

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