title: Susceptibility of Loxosceles sp. to the arthropod pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae: potential biocontrol of the brown spider.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loxosceles genus (brown spider) is an important pest with great impact on public health. Thus, more effective strategies for spider control are necessary.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae fungus were tested for the control of Loxosceles sp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Metarhizium anisopliae isolate E6 was highly virulent to the Loxosceles sp. spider, causing 100% mortality at 10(9) conidia/ml after 12 days and 9 days for juvenile and adult spiders, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of the pathogenicity of M. anisopliae against a venomous arthropod. This fungus could offer an interesting alternative to reduce loxoscelism in future biocontrol strategies.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, PO Box 15005, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. walterbeys@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Walter O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Beys-da-Silva
authors.forename: Lucélia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schrank
authors.forename: Marilene H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vainstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D001938:Brazil; D063287:Brown Recluse Spider / Q000382:microbiology*; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents