How effective are fungal biopesticides to control Chagas vectors? Field, laboratory and mathematical modeling assessment.

JUÁREZ M PATRICIA

Kolymbari

Conferencia; EMBO Conference on Molecular and Population Biology of Mosquitoes and Other Disease Vectors: Current, Resurgent and Emerging Diseases; 2015

European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Triatomine bugs are the causative agent of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis). Current chemical control strategies are threatened by the emergence of pyrethroid-resistant bug populations. Entomopathogenic fungi have the ability to breach Triatoma infestans cuticle and are effective both against pyrethroid-susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant bugs. We also know that T. infestans cuticle lipids play a major role as contact aggregation pheromones. Here we will show the potential of pheromone?based infection traps to effectively kill bugs indoors, and its effect on the vector population dynamics. Virulence parameters and the contribution of fungal horizontal transmission to the infection process were estimated in laboratory and field assays. After modeling the infection effects on insect population dynamics, we will discuss the biopesticide trap efficacy and its potential in vector integrated management. This low cost, lowtech, green tool is the first proven alternative to help control T. infestans, regardless their susceptibility to current chemical insecticides.