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. 2020 Dec 25;12(1):10.
doi: 10.3390/insects12010010.

Effects of Entomopathogenic Fungi on Individuals as Well as Groups of Workers and Immatures of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Leaf-Cutting Ants

Luis Eduardo Pontes Stefanelli  1 , Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho  1 , Roberto da Silva Camargo  1 , Carlos Alberto Oliveira de Matos  2 , Luiz Carlos Forti  1
Affiliations

Effects of Entomopathogenic Fungi on Individuals as Well as Groups of Workers and Immatures of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Leaf-Cutting Ants

Luis Eduardo Pontes Stefanelli et al. Insects. .

Abstract

In 2009, sulfluramid, the main ingredient in toxic baits for leaf-cutting ant control, was included in Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. This resulted in interest in the use of entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma harzianum for leaf-cutting ant control. The efficiency of these fungi in controlling these insects and the way that ants react individually or in group to the biological risks posed by these fungi is poorly understood. For this reason, we assessed the effects of B. bassiana and T. harzianum on Atta sexdens rubropilosa larvae, pupae and workers. Moreover, we investigated whether the number of contaminated individuals within a group has an influence in controlling the spread of fungi among workers. We found that the fungus T. harzianum showed high pathogenicity against A. sexdens rubropilosa larvae and pupae, leading to faster mortality and a survival rates. On the other hand, the fungus B. bassiana was responsible for causing faster worker mortality and lower survival rates. In addition, we observed that an increase in individuals contaminated with B. bassiana or T. harzianum in the group decreases its survival rate. The results support the hypothesis that entomopathogenic fungi are efficient in controlling leaf-cutting ants when contaminated workers are allocated to groups of healthy workers.

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana; Formicidae; Trichoderma harzianum; leaf-cutting ants; sulfluramid.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stages of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) exposed with the different entomopathogens under laboratory conditions: (A) healthy pupae; (B) pupae exposed with Beauveria bassiana; (C) pupae exposed with Trichoderma harzianum; (D) healthy larvae; (E) larvae exposed with Beauveria bassiana; (F) larvae exposed with Trichoderma harzianum; (G) healthy worker; (H) worker exposed with Beauveria bassiana; (I) worker exposed Trichoderma harzianum.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival curve of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) larvae, pupae and workers immersed in suspensions of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma harzianum.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Survival curve of groups of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) workers immersed in suspensions of Beauveria bassiana (Bov6) and Trichoderma harzianum (Tri7).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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