title: Native strains of Beauveria bassiana for the control of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks are widespread worldwide due to their adaptability to survive under different environmental conditions. They may act as vectors of a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals and their control is based on the use of chemical products on dogs and in the environment. Alternative control strategies, such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi as bio-control agents have also been investigated. The ability of native strains of Beauveria bassiana sensu lato in causing mortality in different tick species (e.g., Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus microplus) has been demonstrated. However, limited studies have assessed the use of B. bassiana for the control of R. sanguineus s.l. and none of them have employed native strains of this fungus. Here we investigated the pathogenicity of a native strain of B. bassiana (CD1123) against all developmental stages of R. sanguineus s.l..
  
  
  METHODS
  Batches of eggs, larvae, nymphs and adult ticks were immersed in a suspension of 10(7) conidia/ml of B. bassiana s.l., isolated from a R. sanguineus s.l. engorged female. All treatment and control groups were observed for 20 days, and the biological parameters (i.e., mortality, hatching, moulting percentage, pre-oviposition period, oviposition period and rate, eggs production efficiency, reproductive efficiency and fitness indexes) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effect of the B. bassiana strain tested herein on eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults showed a significantly higher mortality than those of the control groups (p < 0.05) at 5 days post-infection. No infected eggs hatched and no infected larvae moulted. Only 15% of infected nymphs moulted into adults. All biological parameters of treated groups differed significantly (p < 0.001) from those of control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that a suspension containing 10(7) conidia/ml of a native B. bassiana strain is highly virulent towards all life-cycle developmental stages of R. sanguineus s.l. and may be of potential interest as a biological control agent against these ticks.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. claudia.cafarchia@uniba.it.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Cafarchia
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. davide.immediato@uniba.it.
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Immediato
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. roberta.iatta@uniba.it.
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: Iatta
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. rafaelanramos10@yahoo.com.br.
authors: Rafael Antonio Nascimento
authors: RA
authors: Ramos
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. riccardopaolo.lia@uniba.it.
authors: Riccardo Paolo
authors: RP
authors: Lia
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. daniele.porretta@uniroma1.it.
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Porretta
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. vet.luciana@gmail.com.|Department of Immunology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (Fiocruz-PE), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. vet.luciana@gmail.com.
authors: Luciana Aguiar
authors: LA
authors: Figueredo
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. filipe.vet@globo.com.|Department of Immunology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (Fiocruz-PE), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. filipe.vet@globo.com.
authors: Filipe
authors: F
authors: Dantas-Torres
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. domenico.otranto@uniba.it.
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Otranto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052982:Beauveria / Q000502:physiology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008297:Male; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D012098:Reproduction; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
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