Abstract
Ticks are one of the main economic threats to the cattle industry worldwide affecting productivity, health and welfare. The need for alternative methods to control tick populations is prompted by the high prevalence of multiresistant tick strains to the main chemical acaricides and their ecological consequences. Biological control using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) is one of the most promising alternative options. The objective of this paper is to review the use of EPF as an alternative control method against cattle ticks in Mexico. Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.) and Beauveria bassiana s.l. are the most studied EPF for the biological control of ticks in the laboratory and in the field, mainly against Rhipicephalus microplus; however, evaluations against other important cattle ticks such as Amblyomma mixtum and R. annulatus, are needed. A transdisciplinary approach is required to incorporate different types of tools, such as genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics in order to better understand the pathogenicity/virulence mechanism in EPF against ticks. Laboratory tests have demonstrated the EPF efficacy to control susceptible and resistant/multiresistant tick populations; whereas, field tests have shown satisfactory control efficiency of M. anisopliae s.l. against different stages of R. microplus when applied both on pasture and on cattle. Epidemiological aspects of ticks and environmental factors are considered as components that influence the acaricidal behavior of the EPF. Finally, considering all these aspects, some recommendations are proposed for the use of EPF in integrated control schemes for livestock ticks.
Highlights
Food security is one of the main concerns worldwide, where cattle play a fundamental role in the supply of milk and meat (Falvey, 2015)
The objective of this paper is to review the use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) as an alternative control method against cattle ticks in Mexico
A. mixtum has a similar distribution to that of R. microplus in Mexico (Figure 2) (SENASICA, 2013); where, concomitant infestations are common in ∼86% of farms (Alonso-Díaz et al, 2013a). It seems that A. mixtum has a greater distribution, since this species has been able to adapt to various ecological niches, including semi-arid grasslands and subtropical secondary forests (Estrada-Peña et al, 2004); in addition to its great capacity to occupy the ecological niches of other ticks (i.e., R. microplus under high pressure from acaricides) (Alonso-Díaz et al, 2013b)
Summary
Food security is one of the main concerns worldwide, where cattle play a fundamental role in the supply of milk and meat (Falvey, 2015). It seems that A. mixtum has a greater distribution, since this species has been able to adapt to various ecological niches, including semi-arid grasslands and subtropical secondary forests (Estrada-Peña et al, 2004); in addition to its great capacity to occupy the ecological niches of other ticks (i.e., R. microplus under high pressure from acaricides) (Alonso-Díaz et al, 2013b) This ectoparasite has a heteroxenous life cycle and is a generalist species that infests livestock, humans and, wildlife in Mexico (Aguilar-Domínguez et al, 2019; Higa et al, 2020). OP, organophosphates; SP, synthetic pyrethroids; P, pyrethroids; Am, amidines; ML, macrocyclic lactones; PP, phenylpyrazoles
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
