Phytopathogenic and antagonistic potentialities of fungi associated with pistachio bark beetle, Chaetoptelius vestitus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), infesting pistachio (Pistacia vera) in Tunisia.

AIM: This study investigated the biodiversity of fungi associated with the pistachio bark beetle, Chaetoptelius vestitus, in Tunisia. We evaluated the phytopathogenic activities and tested antagonistic potentialities with respect to phytopathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 41 fungal isolates were randomly isolated from C. vestitus adults and galleries. We identified 28 species belonging to 13 genera using ITS sequences of the ribosomal RNA operons. Pathogenicity assays performed using the excised shoot method revealed that isolates Aal_io_1 (Alternaria alternata), Feq_io_1 (Fusarium equiseti), Fgra_io_1 (Fusarium graminearum), Fve_io_1 (Fusarium verticilloides), Tro_io_1 (Trichothecium roseum) and Nqu_io_1 (Nothophoma quercina) displayed a high pathogenic activity on pistachio stems. Estimation of the antagonistic potentialities of isolated fungi against several phytopathogenic isolates as tested using a dual-culture method showed that isolates Tpi_io_1 (Talaromyces pinophilus), Pbi_io_2 (Penicillium bilaiae), Asc_io_1 (Aspergillus sclerotiorum) and Gla_io_1 (Geosmithia lavendula) displayed a broad range of antagonistic activities. CONCLUSION: Fungi associated with C. vestitus had a variable range of pathogenic activity on pistachio stem. Phytopathogenic fungi were antagonized by different fungal isolates which could be promising in pistachio protection against phytopathogenic fungi. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study is the first that investigated the diversity of fungi associated with C. vestitus and evaluated both their phytopathogenic activity and antagonistic potential against fungal phytopathogens.

Potential of native Beauveria pseudobassiana strain for biological control of Pine Wood Nematode vector Monochamus galloprovincialis.

Three entomopathogenic fungal strains, Isaria farinosa (Holmsk.) Fr., Lecanicillium attenuatum (Zare & W. Games) and Beauveria pseudobassiana (Bals.) Vuill. were isolated in Spain from naturally infected Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), the European vector of Pine Wilt Disease (PWD). This is the first time that these entomopathogenic fungi have been isolated from M. galloprovincialis beetles. Assays showed the B. pseudobassiana EABps 11/01-Mg strain to be highly virulent against the pine sawyer. Horizontal and vertical transmission were assessed for both aqueous (1×10(8)conidia/ml) and dry (4.25×10(9)conidia/g) conidial formulations. Evidence of horizontal or vertical transmission was not found when insects were inoculated with the aqueous conidial suspension. However, when dry conidia were applied, 100% of the horizontally-infected insects died and their average survival times (AST) were significantly reduced (from 21.10 and 25.00 days in controls to 10.40 and 10.00 days in infected males and females, respectively). Compared to control females, numbers of egg-laying wounds, eggs laid, live larvae after 5 days and larvae entering the xylem after 6 months were significantly reduced in both inoculated females and clean females that had mated with inoculated males, pointing to horizontally-induced reduction of progeny. These results validate the potential of the isolated B. pseudobassiana strain as an important natural population regulator. Through auto-dissemination techniques, it could be used for the integrated control of Pine Wood Nematode vectors and constitute a new tool for Pine Wilt Disease management.