Authors: Bextine, Blake R.; Thorvilson, Harlan G.

Source: Environmental Entomology, Volume 31, Number 4, August 2002 , pp. 746-752(7)

Publisher: Entomological Society of America

Abstract:

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an important pest in the southern United States, in part because few natural enemies exist. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that holds great promise as a biological control agent against S. invicta. In previous studies, B. bassiana was effective in laboratory trials, but field applications were less effective. In the current study, we compared the efficacy of different application methods of B. bassiana mycelia encapsulated in alginate pellets against S. invicta in heavily infested areas. Direct insertion of pellets into S. invicta mounds caused some reduction in activity rating. However, observations of ants removing pellets from mounds shortly after insertion led to the development of a bait system to encourage pellet retention in the mounds. Broadcast applications and individual mound treatments of B. bassiana alginate pellets coated with peanut oil reduced activity ratings of S. invicta populations.

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana; Solenopsis invicta; red imported fire ant; microbial control; entomopathogenic fungi

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2002-08-01

More about this publication?

• Environmental Entomology is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The journal publishes reports on the interaction of insects with the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of their environment and is divided into the following sections: physiological ecology; chemical ecology; population ecology; quantitative ecology; community and ecosystem ecology; biological control­-parasitoids and predators; biological control--microbials; biological control--weeds; behavior; pest management; sampling; plant-insect interactions; molecular ecology and evolution; transgenic plants and insects. In addition to research papers, Environmental Entomology publishes Letters to the Editor, interpretive articles in a Forum section, and Book Reviews.
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