Isolation, characterization, and virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae
strain Infecting sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera:
Brentidae)
Abstract
The sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera:
Brentidae), is a major pest affecting sweet potato production in the
field and quality during storage. Its nocturnal, subterranean lifestyle
complicates control with synthetic insecticides, and insufficient
knowledge of safe application methods exacerbates health risks while
promoting resistance development. Biological control employing
entomopathogenic fungi, including Metarhizium anisopliae,
provides an eco-friendly solution. The present research focused on
isolating and characterizing M. anisopliae from infected adult
C. formicarius specimens and assessing its biocontrol
effectiveness against this pest. Infected weevils were collected from
the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. The
isolated fungus was identified as M. anisopliae. The effects of
temperature variations and culture media on fungus revealed 25±1 °C as
the optimal temperature, with the Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium
surpassing both Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Maltose Extract Agar
(MEA) in spore production. The pathogenic effects of M.
anisopliae on C. formicarius were analyzed using scanning
electron microscopy to examine the fungal infection process. Adult
mortality rates were 96.67, 93.33, and 50% at conidia concentrations of
1.2 × 10 8, 1 × 10 7, and 6.2 × 10
6 conidia/mL, respectively, seven days after treatment
(DAT). The median lethal concentration 50 (LC 50) and LC
90 of M. anisopliae Pm04 against C.
formicarius was calculated as 0.16 × 10 8 and 0.59×10
8 conidia/mL respectively. These findings indicate
that the native M. anisopliae strain Pm04 has high virulence
against C. formicarius, highlighting its promise as a viable
biocontrol agent for managing field pests.