First record of Fusarium verticillioides (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) as an entomopathogenic fungus of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)

PELIZZA S.A.; STENGLEIN S.A.; CABELLO M.N.; DINOLFO M.I.; LANGE C.E.

Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba

Congreso; VI Congreso de Microbiología General SAMIGE; 2009

Fusarium verticillioides is often the most common fungus reported from infected corn kernels and vegetative tissues, but has not been reported to be entomopathogenic. Grasshoppers and locusts are a group of insects that cause economic damage to forage and crops. Tropidacris collaris (Orthoptera: Romaleidae) is a large and voracious grasshopper that in recent years has become an increasingly recurrent and extended pest in some of Argentina’s northern provinces. In this work, we report the first record of F. verticillioides as an entomopathogenic fungus of T. collaris and evaluate the pathogenicity of the isolated F. verticilliodes against Ronderosia bergi (Orthoptera: Acrididae).