The Japanese beetle ( Popillia japonica ) is an invasive scarab beetle originating from Japan. In the European Union, it is listed as a priority quarantine pest. Currently, it is mainly controlled using synthetic insecticides. Here, we tested an environmentally friendly control alternative. We investigated whether Japanese beetle adults can be used as vectors to autodisseminate lethal doses of the European native entomopathoge...

Soil-dwelling insect pests may cause considerable damage to crops worldwide, and their belowground lifestyle makes them hard to control. Amongst the most promising control agents for subterranean pests are soilborne entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) such as Metarhizium brunneum . Albeit EPF can be highly pathogenic to their target pest species under laboratory conditions, their efficacy in the field is often limited due to adverse...

The potential interaction of fluctuating temperature and the virulence of entomopathogens has implications for biological control. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of entomopathogenic fungi ( Metarhizium brunneum , Beauveria bassiana ) on noctuid pest caterpillars ( Spodoptera littoralis, Heliothis virescens ) under constant and fluctuating temperature regimes. The results revealed similar virulence of...

Purpose The successful implementation of a plant protection product depends on its effectiveness against a target species and its safety for the environment. Risk assessment schemes have therefore been devised to facilitate classification and regulation. These guidelines, however, are directed towards chemical substances and are in many cases less suitable for the assessment of products employing microorganisms. Methods In thi...