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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372572
Research Project: Improved Surveillance and Control of Stable Flies, House Flies, and Other Filth Flies

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Exposure timing and method affect Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) efficacy against house fly (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae

Author
item White, Roxie
item Geden, Christopher - Chris
item KAUFMAN, PHILLIP - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Journal of Medical Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2020
Publication Date: 8/2/2020
Citation: White, R.L., Geden, C.J., Kaufman, P.E. 2020. Exposure timing and method affect Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) efficacy against house fly (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae. Journal of Medical Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa156.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa156

Interpretive Summary: House flies, Musca domestica L., are widely recognized for their ability to develop resistance to chemical insecticides, and alternative control strategies are desired. The use of entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin to manage adult house fly populations has shown promising results, but little is known about whether it can be used against larvae. In this paper, researchers at USDA-ARS-ARS in Gainesville (Florida) and the University of Florida examined the factors that determine whether fly larvae can be killed effectively with the pathogen. Temperature (22 versus 32°C) and media composition (diets with and without propionic acid) did not affect the effectiveness of B. bassiana treatments against fly larvae. Additional testing revealed that fly larvae are only susceptible to the pathogen when they are very young, and that very high fungal doses are required to kill them. The results show that B. bassiana should be used for adult fly control but that larval control with this biocontrol agent is prohibitively expensive.

Technical Abstract: However, the success of using this fungus against larval house flies varies widely. Thus, we examined the potential of B. bassiana as a larvicide against house flies through manipulation of the timing and method of exposure. When high concentrations (4 x 10E11 colony forming units (cfu)/mL) were applied to first and second instar larvae, there was a significant reduction in the percent pupation and percent adult emergence. Treating third instar larvae at the same concentrations did not result in significant reductions in percent pupation or percent adult emergence. Temperature (22 versus 32°C) and media composition (diets with and without propionic acid) did not affect the effectiveness of B. bassiana treatments against house fly larvae.