Interactions among three tropic levels were investigated to determine host plant influences on insect susceptibility to fungal infection. Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), larvae were reared on six Solanum hosts( S. chacoense PI 414143 & 189220, S. hjertingii PI 251065, S. hougasii PI 161726, S. kurtzianum PI 472925, and S. tuberosum L. cv. Lenape) and inoculated topically with Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin conidia. Larval susceptibility to fungal infection was similar, even though the host plants used for rearing differed ( P ≤ 0.05) in total glycoalkaloid content. The Solanum hosts also had little effect on fitnessof larvae. Applying B. bassiana topically presumably mitigates any direct negative influence that glycoalkaloids may have on the fungus when Colorado potato beetles are inoculated by mouth.
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Costa et al. (1989) studied this question.