Effect of entomopathogenic Aspergillus strains against the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) are sap-sucking insect pests that feed on several plants of agronomical importance. Entomopathogenic fungi are valuable tools for potential aphid control. As part of a selection process, laboratory bioassays were carried with five different concentrations of Aspergillus clavatus (Desmazières), Aspergillus flavus (Link) and Metarhizium anisopliae ((Metschnikoff) Sorokin) spores against the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). Aspergillus isolates induced higher mortalities than M. anisopliae which is a well-known entomopathogen in the literature. Lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) were 1.23 x 10^3 and 1.34 x 10^7 spores/ml for A. flavus, 4.95 x 10^2 and 5.65 x 10^7 spores/ml for A. clavatus, and 3.67 x 10^3 and 9.71 x 10^7 spores/ml for M. anisopliae five days after treatment. Mycelia development and sporulation on adult cadavers was observed 48 hours after incubation. The intrinsic growth rate of A. pisum decreased with increased spore concentration for all fungal strains suggesting an increase in pathogen fitness related to a consumption of host resources. In conclusion, Aspergillus species could be useful in aphid control as pest control agents despite their saprophytic lifestyle. This is also in our knowledge the first report of A. clavatus and A. flavus strains pathogenic to aphids.