Yersinia entomophaga MH96, which was originally isolated from the New Zealand grass grub, Costelytra zealandica, produces an orally active proteinaceous toxin complex (Yen-Tc), and this toxin is responsible for mortality in a range of insect species, mainly within the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. The genes encoding Yen-Tc are members of the toxin complex (Tc) family, with orthologs identified in...

Disease is often expected to limit host populations, but diseases do not always dramatically reduce host numbers and often have no effect. The impact of a fungal pathogen (Entomophaga grylli pathotype 1) on grasshopper (Camnula pellucida) populations was studied in a field experiment. We tested whether the effects of disease on grasshopper survival were additive, with disease mortality summing ...

Two viruses were isolated on Latoia viridissima (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae), defoliator of oil palm in Côte d’Ivoire, a picornavirus (G. Fédière, R. Philippe? J. C. Veyrunes, and P. Monsarrat, Entomophaga 37, 354-357,1990) and a nuclear polyhedrosis baculovirus (N. K. Mouassi, Oléagineux, in press). No lines were known from this family and as no permissive cell culture existed to multiply these ...

1. When an invasive species first colonizes an area, there is an interval before any host-specific natural enemies arrive at the new location. Population densities of newly invading species are low, and the spatial and temporal interactions between spreading invasive species and specific natural enemies that follow are poorly understood. 2. We measured infection rates of two introduced host-spe...

In this study, we tested (1) whether non-North American gypsy moth strains are susceptible to North American isolates of Entomophaga maimaiga and (2) the potential for erosion in the efficacy of E. maimaiga in controlling gypsy moth. We used bioassays to assess the variability in virulence (measured as time to death) as well as fitness of the pathogen (measured as spore production) in four gyps...

In present study Bacillus laterosporus isolated from a commercial formulation showed larvicidal activity against second instar larvae of Aedies aegypti, Anophles stephense and Culex qunquefasciatus. The % mortality without heat treatment was 37.34 against Anophles and 18.67 against Culex. The toxin was heat stable and its toxicity increased with inoculum size and incubation time. The study reve...

1991). Only recently have investigations focused on relationships between B. bassiana and the corn plant. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the proBeauveria bassiana forms an endopytic relationship with clivity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (Berliner)-transgenic corn (Zea mays L.) to form an endophytic relationship with Beauveria bassiana, the corn plant and provides sea...