Entomopathogenic fungi controlling Oebalus poecilus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in rice crop
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33837/msj.v9i1.1752Keywords:
Small rice stink bug, entomophatogenic fungi, biological controlAbstract
The rice stink bug Oebalus poecilus (Dallas 1851) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the most important pests of rice crops. Adults and nymphs feed on spikelets and panicle branches, causing quantitative and qualitative damage to the plant's grains. Entomopathogenic fungi have been studied as agent of biological control of several agricultural insect pests. The objective of this study was to evaluate three entomopathogenic fungi in the control of O. poecilus on rice plants. Rice seeds (BRS Esmeralda) were sown in a 0.3 L plastic pot containing soil, sand, and cattle manure (3:1:1). After emergence, the plants were kept in a greenhouse under natural conditions and irrigated daily. O. poecilus adults received a topical application of a suspension of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Cordyceps javanica and 0.01% v/v of Tween 80. In the control, only Tween 80 and water were applied in the dorsum of the insects. After insects treatments, the adults continued feeding on the rice plants until died. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with four replicates (10 insects/replicate). Significant differences in virulence and mortality were observed among the fungi tested. The entomopathogenic fungi were able to infect and kill O. poecilus adults on rice plants. Beauveria bassiana demonstrated greater virulence and higher mortality after 6 days of application. Furthermore, negative impacts on the development of insects treated with the fungi B. bassiana, C. javanica, and M. anisopliae were observed. Rice plants treated with B. bassiana showed lower percentages of damaged grains. Entomopathogenic fungi show promise in controlling rice stink bugs and require further study to determine more effective doses and different developmental stages of the pest.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Vitoria Souza Rocha, Lenize Correia Sousa, Márcio da Silva Araújo, José Alexandre de Freitas Barrigossi, André Cirilo de Sousa Almeida, Flávio Gonçalves Jesus
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