Abstract
Effects of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin infection on feeding and ovipositional behavior of Lygus hesperus Knight were investigated in the laboratory. In the feeding experiment, bugs were inoculated with different concentrations (LC10, LC50, LC90) of B. bassiana conidia and feeding damage was measured on flower buds of Wisconsin fast plants, Brassica rapa L., after 5 d. We detected greater feeding damage by inoculated bugs compared with noninoculated bugs, particularly bugs that died during the experiment. In the oviposition experiment, bugs were inoculated with a high concentration of conidia (LC90 at 25°C) and incubated for 6 d at 25 or 35°C, temperatures that are optimal and suboptimal, respectively, for B. bassiana growth. Most inoculated bugs died at 25°C but survived at 35°C during the 6-d experiment. Incubation temperature did not significantly affect L. hesperus oviposition. B. bassiana inoculation reduced the oviposition rate of lygus bug, particularly in bugs that did not show sporulation at the end of the experiment. If B. bassiana is used for lygus bug control in seed crop fields, the behavioral changes of infected bugs are unlikely to contribute to a reduction in seed damage.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
