Open AccessSusceptibility of the Western Honey BeeApis melliferaand the African Stingless BeeMeliponula ferruginea(Hymenoptera: Apidae) to the Entomopathogenic FungiMetarhizium anisopliaeandBeauveria bassiana
Author(s) -
Evanson R. Omuse,
Saliou Niassy,
John Maina Wagacha,
George Ong’amo,
H. Michael G. Lattorff,
Nkoba Kiatoko,
Samira A. Mohamed,
Sevgan Subramanian,
Komivi Senyo Akutse,
Thomas Dubois
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of economic entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1938-291X
pISSN - 0022-0493
DOI - 10.1093/jee/toab211
Subject(s) - biology , metarhizium anisopliae , hypocreales , apidae , beauveria bassiana , honey bee , conidium , metarhizium , veterinary medicine , biopesticide , botany , hymenoptera , biological pest control , ecology , medicine , ascomycota , biochemistry , pesticide , gene
This study assessed the nontarget effect of entomopathogenic fungi on the Western honey bee Apis mellifera L. and the African stingless bee Meliponula ferruginea Cockrell (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Pathogenicity of five Metarhizium anisopliae (ICIPE 7, ICIPE 20, ICIPE 62, ICIPE 69, and ICIPE 78) (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and one of Beauveria bassiana (ICIPE 284) (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordicipitaceae) isolates were evaluated on bees at 108 conidia/ml. Conidial acquisition was evaluated immediately after exposure. Apis mellifera acquired more conidia (2.8 × 104–1.3 × 105 conidia per bee) compared to M. ferruginea (1.1 × 104–2.3 × 104 conidia per bee). In the bioassay with A. mellifera, ICIPE 7, ICIPE 20, and ICIPE 69 moderately reduced the survival by 16.9, 17.4, 15.3%, with lethal times LT10 = 7.4, 7.6, 8.1 d and LT25 = 8.7, 10.0, 9.9 d, respectively. The three isolates caused A. mellifera mycosis of 11.6–18.5%. None of the isolates had a significant effect on M. ferruginea. The tested isolates are nontoxic to bees according to the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) classification. However, the effect of ICIPE 7, ICIPE 20, and ICIPE 69 merits further studies on bee colonies, especially those of A. mellifera, under field conditions.