Pathogenicity of the Entomopathogenic Fungi and Nematode on Medfly Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The objectives of this research were: to evaluate, in laboratory, the pathogenicity of fungi isolates and nematodes in the control of fruit fly prepupae and adults in the laboratory and the application of these entomopathogens in the greenhouse. Different Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok. concentrations were tested on Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) prepupae in sterilized and natural soil under laboratory conditions. The efficiency of six B. bassiana and M. anisopliae isolates was evaluated on C. capitata prepupae with application this selected isolates at a concentration of 510 8 conidia/mL in soil pots containing citrus seedlings in the greenhouse. In addition, the pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis sp. (isolate IBCBn 05) was evaluated by applying 200 infective juveniles (JI)/ prepupae with the same methodology used for the fungi. Transmission of the above fungi in C. capitata adults was also studied under laboratory conditions. It was verified that the fungi B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were pathogenic to C. capitata prepupae, with the isolates IBCB 66 and IBCB 425, respectively, were the most virulent. Heterorhabditis sp. was also pathogenic at the concentration applied. In the greenhouse, the B. bassiana fungus reached a prepupal control efficiency of 66.6%. The fungi were transmitted among the C. capitata adult population even when only 10% of the population was initially contaminated.