Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #252435
Title: Entomopathogenic fungus, Isaria fumosorosea, and aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes, for managing infestations of Brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida

Author
item PICK, D - Florida Atlantic University
item AVERY, P - University Of Florida
item Hunter, Wayne
item POWELL, C - University Of Florida
item Hall, David

Submitted to: Florida Scientist
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/2010
Publication Date: 3/19/2010
Citation: Pick, D., Avery, P.B., Hunter, W.B., Powell, C.A., Hall, D.G. 2010. Entomopathogenic fungus, Isaria fumosorosea, and aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes, for managing infestations of Brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida [abstract]. Florida Scientists. 73(1):3. AGR-05. Online: www.barry.edu/fas/.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An insect-infecting fungal pathogen, (Isaria fumosorosea [Ifr])sold as the product PFR 97™ was shown to be effective at killing aphid pests while not decreasing beneficial parasitoids. The brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy)(Hemiptera: Aphididae) spreads the plant-infecting virus, Citrus Tristeza to citrus trees thus reducing yields. The impact of PFR 97™ on parasitism and emergence of the aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes, from parasitized brown citrus aphids, was assessed as a spray application under caged conditions on citrus seedlings. The fungal treatment on aphids alone caused between 70-80% mortality. Treatment of fungi sprayed on aphid colonies containing parasitoids resulted in 95-100% mortality and did not negatively influence L. testaceipes parasitism rate, nor show any significant difference in the emergence rate between fungal treated and non treated parasitized aphid colonies. The brown citrus aphid had significantly high mortality rates in both parasitoid, and parasitoid-plus-PFR treatments, nearing 100%, indicating L. testaceipes was highly effective at parasitizing the aphids even in the presence of the fungi. The compatibility of the bio-insecticide PFR 97™ with the added benefits of survival of the beneficial insect parasitoid, demonstrated a viable strategy to combine both entomopathogenic fungi and beneficial insects, parasitoids, together in future IPM programs aimed at management of manage brown citrus aphids.