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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305896

Title: Use of acoustic technology to monitor the time course of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus larval mortality in date palms after treatments with Beauveria bassiana

Author
item JALINAS, JOHARI - Universidad De Alicante
item AGULLO, BERENICE - Universidad De Alicante
item Mankin, Richard
item LOPEZ-FOLLANA, R - Universidad De Alicante
item LOPEZ-LLORCA, L - Universidad De Alicante

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spectral and temporal patterns of insect sound impulses were monitored daily for 23-d periods in 8, 10, or 5 small date palm trees containing larvae dipped in 0 (control), 104 (low), or 108 (high) conidia/ml doses of entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Bb 203), respectively. Each tree contained two identically treated larvae. Mortality times were estimated by setting thresholds for High and Low insect activity levels, and considering that mortality had occurred if activity levels remained below the Low activity threshold after a particular day since treatment. The trees were dissected and examined for larval condition after the end of the test. Mortality was 12.5%, 15%, and 50% for control, low and high dosage treatments, respectively. Activity levels remained below the Low activity threshold after 6 d in 50% of the high-dose treatments, but varied between Low and High activity in both the control and low-dosage treatments. Dead larvae were found in all of the trees where acoustic analysis had predicted mortality.