Abstract
The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae isolate IP 46, originating from a soil sample collected in 2001 in the Cerrado of Central Brazil, was tested for its ability to reduce the survival of adult male and female Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis mosquitoes. A 6-h exposure to the fungus coated on test paper at a concentration of 3.3 × 106 conidia cm-2 reduced the daily survival of both mosquito species (HR = 3.14, p < 0.001), with higher risk of dying in An. gambiae s.s relative to An. arabiensis (HR = 1.38, p < 0.001). Fungal sporulation was observed in >95% of mosquito cadavers in the treatment groups. The results indicate that M. anisopliae IP 46 has the potential to be a bio-control agent for African malaria vector species, and is a suitable candidate for further research and development.
Highlights
We examined the effect of this strain against laboratory-reared adult Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and An. arabiensis, with the aim to include IP 46 in the spectrum of fungal candidates available for use as biocontrol agents
The fungus was imported as conidia from the Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
The IP 46 isolate was host-passaged through laboratory-reared An. gambiae s.s. adults in order to maintain its virulence
Summary
We examined the effect of this strain against laboratory-reared adult Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and An. arabiensis, with the aim to include IP 46 in the spectrum of fungal candidates available for use as biocontrol agents. The IP 46 isolate was host-passaged through laboratory-reared An. gambiae s.s. adults in order to maintain its virulence. Daily risk of dying was higher for exposed An. gambiae than An. arabiensis (HR = 1.38, p < 0.001).
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