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Influence of Temperature on Virulence of Fungal Isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to the Two-Spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae

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Abstract

Twenty-three isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sokorin and three isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) were assessed for their virulence against the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Based on the screening results, nine isolates of M. anisopliae and two isolates of B. bassiana were tested for their virulence against young adult (1- to 2-day-old) female T. urticae at constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35°C. At all temperatures tested, all the fungal isolates were pathogenic to T. urticae but mortality varied with isolates and temperatures. Fungal isolates were more virulent at 25, 30 and 35°C than at 20°C. The lethal time to 50% mortality (LT50) and lethal time to 90% mortality (LT90) values decreased with increased temperature. There were no significant differences in virulence between fungal isolates at 30 and 35°C; however, significant differences were observed at 20 and 25°C.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ms E.O. Ouna, Mr R. Rotich and Mr B. Muia for technical assistance. This study received financial support from the SII-Dutch government fund through the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS) of ICIPE and from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya

    David Mugisho Bugeme, Markus Knapp, Anthony Kibira Wanjoya & Nguya Kalemba Maniania

  2. Department of Botany, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), P.O. Box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya

    David Mugisho Bugeme & Hamadi Iddi Boga

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  1. David Mugisho Bugeme
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  2. Markus Knapp
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  5. Nguya Kalemba Maniania
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Correspondence to Nguya Kalemba Maniania.

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Bugeme, D.M., Knapp, M., Boga, H.I. et al. Influence of Temperature on Virulence of Fungal Isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to the Two-Spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae . Mycopathologia 167, 221–227 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9164-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9164-6

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