title: Estimation of Median Lethal Concentration of Three Isolates of Beauveria bassiana for Control of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) Bioassayed on Solid Lygus spp. Diet.
abstract: The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.), is an urban nuisance and significant agricultural pest. The median lethal concentrations of three strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo), including the Mississippi Delta native strain (NI8) isolated from Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), the commercial strain BotaniGard(®) (GHA) (Victor, NY, USA), and the B. bassiana strain isolated from M. cribraria (KUDSC), were estimated on kudzu bug adults. A technique developed to evaluate B. bassiana against L. lineolaris was used. Younger adults (eight days after collection) were treated with NI8 and GHA and older adult (50 days after collection) were treated with NI8, GHA and KUDSC. Higher concentrations (n × 10⁶, n × 10⁷) of NI8 and GHA caused kudzu bug mortality two days after treatment in younger adults and similar concentrations of NI8, GHA, and KUDSC caused mortality one day after treatment in older adults. Lower concentrations (n × 10⁴, n × 10⁵) were not significantly different in mortality between strains. LS50 values of the KUDSC were significantly lower than NI8 and GHA values in older adults. This is the first available information on median lethal concentration of B. bassiana on kudzu bug adults bioassayed on artificial diet. It was determined that B. bassiana (KUDSC and NI8) are highly effective for young adults at very low doses (LC50 1.98-4.98 viable spores per mm²).
authors.affiliation: Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA. Maribel.portilla@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portilla
authors.affiliation: National Biological Control Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA. walker.jones@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Walker
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA. op.perera@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Omaththage
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.affiliation: Southeast Research and Extension Center, Division of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Arkansas, P.O. Box 3508, Monticello, AR 71656, USA. nseiter@uaex.edu.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seiter
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences, Clemson University, Edisto Research and Education Center, 64 Research Road, Blackville, SC 29817, USA. greene4@clemson.edu.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA. randy.luttrell@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luttrell
keywords: Beauveria bassiana; GHA; Kudzu bugs; Megacopta cribraria; NI8; biological control; solid diet