@article {33464, title = {Pathogenicity of individual isolates of entomopathogenic fungi affects feeding preference of red imported fire ants Solenopsis invicta}, journal = {Biocontrol Science and Technology}, year = {2014}, month = {Oct-06-2014}, pages = {1 - 17}, abstract = {

Seven isolates of entomopathogenic fungi,\ Isaria fumosorosea\ (IFCF-H and IFCF-L),\ Beauveria bassiana s.l. (Bb02 and Bb04) and\ Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. (Ma01, SM076 and M09), were selected for their pathogenicity against\ Solenopsis invicta\ as well as feeding preference of\ S. invicta. When ants were treated with a conidial suspension at a concentration of 1\×108\ conidia/ml, the median lethal times (LT50) of IFCF-H, IFCF-L, Bb02, Bb04, Ma01, SM076 and M09 were 3.4, 162.6, 7.3, 2.8, 3.8, 7.3 and 2.7 d, respectively after\ 10\ days. The median lethal concentrations (LC50) on the tenth day after inoculation were 1.20\×107, 1.56\×1010, 4.23\×107, 3.04\×106, 6.13\×106, 2.90\×107\ and 9.90\×105\ conidia/ml, respectively. Furthermore,\ S. invicta\ consumed significantly less solution flavored with Bb04 conidia than the control, which was demonstrated by the lowest preference index (PREF = 0.09).\ S. invicta\ did not have a significant feeding preference for other fungal isolates. The pathogenicity (LC50) of fungal isolates was not significantly correlated (R2=0.013) with the PREF of\ S. invicta. However, in the paired choice experiments between different virulent isolates belonging to the same genera,\ S. invicta\ tended to select the solution flavored with conidia of relatively lower pathogenic isolates such as IFCF-L, Bb02 and SM076. We conclude that the pathogenicity of congeneric fungi may affect the feeding preference of\ S. invicta. Red imported fire ants might adjust their feeding response to entomopathogenic fungi based on the profile of microbial volatile organic compounds.

}, keywords = {entomopathogenic fungi, feeding choice, feeding preference, management, pathogenicity, Solenopsis invicta}, issn = {0958-3157}, doi = {10.1080/09583157.2014.933313}, url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583157.2014.933313}, author = {Qiu, Hua-long and Lu, Li-hua and Zhang, Chun-yang and He, Yu-rong} }