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POSTERS: Biological Control I

P-077 - Investigating interactions between Metarhizium anisopliae and Steinernema feltiae on Tenebrio molitor, Galleria mellonella, and Euscepes postfasciatus

Monday, August 4, 2025
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3
Abstract Text: Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), is common in soils and kills a range of insects. The interaction between M. anisopliae and Steinernema feltiae on mortality of larval mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and waxworm (Galleria mellonella), and adult West Indian Sweetpotato Weevils (Euscepes postfasciatus) was examined. An experiment was conducted consisting of M. anisopliae only, S. feltiae only, a combination of M. anisopliae + S. feltiae, or water. The experiment was repeated once. M. anisopliae was applied at 2.5×10⁶ CFU/insect while S. feltiae was administered at 200 infective juveniles (IJs)/insect in the first repeat and 500 IJs/insect in the second repeat. M. anisopliae and S. feltiae caused 60–100% mortality within 24 hrs in waxworm and mealworm larvae, while no mortality was observed in E. postfasciatus. No mortality was observed in the control after 72 hrs. In both repeats, M. anisopliae and the combined M. anisopliae + S. feltiae treatments incited higher mortality in mealworm larvae. In the first repeat, the West Indian Sweetpotato Weevil exhibited very low mortality across treatments, while in the second repeat, higher mortality was observed in the combination treatment indicating a potential dose-dependent response to S. feltiae. Although no clear synergistic interaction was observed in the combination treatment, both M. anisopliae and S. feltiae can effectively infect and kill host insects even when applied together. EPF and EPN are compatible for use in pest management strategies.