UV-B radiation reduces in vitro germination of Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. but does not affect virulence in fungus-treated Aedes aegypti adults and development on dead mosquitoes.
OBJECTIVE
Control of diurnal Aedes aegypti with mycoinsecticides should consider the exposure of fungus-treated adults to sunlight, and especially to UV-B radiation that might affect activity of conidia applied on the mosquito's surface.


RESULTS
Germination of Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. IP 46 conidia on SDAY medium was not affected at the lowest level of radiation with UV-B, 0·69 kJ m-2, but was retarded and reduced at higher 2·075 and 4·15 kJ m-2, and completely inhibited at ≥8·3 kJ m-2. In contrast, germination of conidia applied onto fibreglass nettings and exposed from 0 to 16·6 kJ m-2did not differ significantly among levels of irradiance exposure and the controls. There was also no significant impact of UV-B up to 16·6 kJ m-2on the adulticidal activity of IP 46 and on the subsequent conidiogenesis on cadavers. The Quaite-weighted UV-B irradiance in the laboratory (1152 mW m-2) was higher than the natural sunlight irradiance observed in the city of Goiânia in Central Brazil on midday (706 mW m-2in August to 911 mW m-2in October 2015).


CONCLUSIONS
UV-B does not impair the activity of IP 46 conidia applied previously to radiation on A. aegypti adults.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings contribute to a better understanding of the effectiveness of M. anisopliae against day-active A. aegypti and its potential for biological mosquito control.
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia (UFG), GO, Brasil.|Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE), Universidad Nacional de La Plata-CONICET, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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ML
Falvo
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia (UFG), GO, Brasil.
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RA
Pereira-Junior
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia (UFG), GO, Brasil.
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J
Rodrigues
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE), Universidad Nacional de La Plata-CONICET, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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López Lastra
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE), Universidad Nacional de La Plata-CONICET, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
J J
JJ
García
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia (UFG), GO, Brasil.
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ÉK
Fernandes
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia (UFG), GO, Brasil.
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C
Luz
D000330:Aedes / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009032:Mosquito Control; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014774:Virulence / Q000528:radiation effects
D061046:Biological Control Agents
UV-B tolerance; application; biological control; entomopathogenic fungus; mosquito