Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi vary considerably in their mode of action and virulence. Successful infection depends primarily on the adherence and penetration ability of a fungus to the host integuments. A variety of extracellular enzymes is produced during the degradation of insect integument. The attempts to control insects have changed over time from chemicals to natural control methods. This is why the development of natural methods of insect control or biopesticides, is preferred. By the use of fungal entomopathogens, insect pests can be controlled. There is no doubt that insects have been used for many years, but their effective use in the field remains elusive. However, their additional role in nature has also been discovered. Comparison of entomopathogens with conventional chemical pesticides depends on their efficiency and cost. In addition to efficiency, there are advantages in using microbial control agents, such as human safety and other non-target organisms; pesticide residues are minimized in food and biodiversity increased in managed ecosystems. In the present review the pathogenicity and virulence of entomopathogenic fungi and their role as biological control agents using biotechnology will be discussed.
Highlights
Fungi, which induce disease symptoms in insects, include fungi from quick killers to absolute parasites that provide disease symptoms in the host
In determining whether the use of entomopathogenic fungi has been successful in pest management, it is necessary to consider each case individually, and direct comparisons with chemical insecticides are usually inappropriate
The safety of entomopathogenic fungi for humans, the environment and non-target organisms is clearly an important criterion for consideration and each insect–fungus system must again be considered on a case-by-case basis
Summary
Fungi, which induce disease symptoms in insects, include fungi from quick killers to absolute parasites that provide disease symptoms in the host. Entomopathogenic fungi cause lethal infections and regulate insect and mite population in nature by epizootics (Burges, 1981; Carruthers and Soper, 1987; McCoy et al, 1988) They are host specific with a very low risk of attacking non-target organisms or beneficial insects. Once the induction of a fungal epizootic control is achieved, the new spores and vegetative cells produced in the infected insects are spread to healthy population of insects It is a ubiquitous species but strain selection is vital, since a high level of variation exists among isolates in relation to pathogenicity, optimal temperature and viability (Moutia, 1936). This review article will describe the biology, classification, virulence and pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi Their use as biological control agents and safety issues will be discussed
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