title: Interaction between western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae and root-infecting Fusarium verticillioides.
abstract: A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil-dwelling larvae of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, on infection of maize roots by the mycotoxin-producing plant-pathogenic fungus, Fusarium verticillioides (Saccardo) Nirenberg (synonym=Fusarium  moniliforme Sheldon). The time and order of application of F. verticillioides and western corn rootworm were varied in three different treatments to investigate the influence of timing on root colonization of F. verticillioides and western corn rootworm larval development. Root feeding by  western corn rootworm larvae increased root colonization by F. verticillioides (as determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction) up to 50-fold when a high inoculum (10(7) spores/plant) of F. verticillioides was applied before western corn rootworm eggs were added. This effect  was stronger the earlier F. verticillioides was applied relative to the time of western corn rootworm egg application but was only significant for the high F. verticillioides inoculum density treatment; F. verticillioides colonization was not increased when a low F. verticillioides inoculum  density (10(6) spores/plant) was applied. F. verticillioides slightly suppressed larval development in that the ratio of second- to third-instar larvae was higher in treatments with F. verticillioides than without F. verticillioides. F. verticillioides reduced western corn rootworm  head capsule width when applied before or simultaneously with western corn rootworm. The results of this study are discussed focusing on conditions that favor root colonization by F. verticillioides and its influence on western corn rootworm larval development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Science, Agricultural Entomology, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karlovsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000254:growth & development*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D005670:Fusarium / Q000254:growth & development*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal