Virulence of several insecticidal fungi against Chilo suppressalis larvae and molecular identification of highly virulent strains
Author of the article:HONG Yong1** LIN Hua-Feng1*** YUE Xiao-Xiao1 LIU Su1 YE Gong-Yin2
Author's Workplace：1. School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; 2. Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Key Words：Beauveria bassiana, Chilo suppressalis, molecular identification, electron microscope, phylogenetic tree
Abstract： [Objectives] To identify fungal strains with high virulence to Chilo suppressalis larvae and provide a theoretical foundation for the biological control of C. suppressalis. [Methods] The virulence of 10 insecticidal fungi to C. suppressalis larvae were measured under the same conditions (spore concentration, temperature and humidity) in a laboratory and the infestation process of insecticidal fungal spores observed. A pair of 18S rDNA universal primers of Beauveria sp. were used to identify the most virulent strains. [Result] At a concentration of 1.0×108 spores/mL, the fungal strains YQ147, QING, Bbr14, and Bbr84 displayed strong virulence against 2nd instar larvae of C. suppressalis, and the YQ147 strain achieved the highest cumulative corrected mortality of 78.4% with a LT50 of 5.8 d after 10 d. Molecular identification confirmed that this fungus was Beauveria bassiana. [Conclusion] Beauveria bassiana is highly virulent to C. suppressalis and may be an effective agent for the biological control of this pest.