Comparative laboratory studies on three fungal pathogens of the elm bark beetle Scolytus scolytus: Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana, metarhizium anisopliae, and Paecilomyces farinosus to larvae and adults of S. scolytus

Abstract

The entomogenous fungi Beauveria bassiana (nine isolates), Metarhizium anisopliae (seven isolates), and Paecilomyces farinosus (four isolates) were tested as pathogens of larvae of the elm bark beetle, Scolytus scolytus. Single isolates of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were also tested against adult beetles. Of the 21 isolates tested as conidial suspensions against larvae, all proved pathogenic. The three most and least virulent isolates were, respectively, isolates of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae. The other isolates fell between these two extremes, with the four P. farinosus isolates all moderately virulent. Spore retention on larvae following inoculation was estimated by washing conidia off the larvae. From the results it was possible to relate larval mortality to the approximate spore dose causing infection at different spore concentrations. Thus, application of spores of the three pathogens at a concentration of 10 3 spores/ml resulted in limited mortality. At this concentration, an average of only a single spore was recovered from the inoculated larva. Adult bark beetles also proved susceptible to infection by isolates of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae. They were exposed to discs of elm bark dipped in a conidial suspension. It was estimated that a dose of less than 100 spores could cause infection of beetles following feeding on the elm bark discs.