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Title: TOXICITY OF AN ISOLATE OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS SUBSPECIES DARMSTADIENSIS TO ADULTS OF THE MEXICAN FRUIT FLY (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) IN THE LABORATORY

Author
item MARTINEZ, ADELAIDO - APHIS-PPQ MISSION, TX
item Robacker, David
item Garcia, Jose

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/26/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Centrifugation pellets obtained from an isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies darmstadiensis (Guat 1) cultured from a Guatemalan soil sample were found to be toxic to Anastrepha ludens (Loew) adults in the laboratory. We developed a bioassay diet that consisted of a mixture of the bacterium, a protein source (Mazoferm [R]) and sugar. A feeder made from Teflon [R] was used to feed the adults. A pH of 4.1 of the mixture was needed to obtain maximum adult mortality. One meal of the diet, which lasted from 30 sec to 4 min, was enough to cause over 70% mortality of both fed or starved adults. Mortality of fed adults was 70-75% following a feeding period of >60 minutes and mortality of starved adults was 80 to 90% following a feeding period >30 minutes. The isolate was toxic to adults from 1 to 21 days old.