Infection of wintering pupae of horse-chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić. by Verticillium lecanii(Zimmerman)Viégas

Abstract

The population dynamics of the horse-chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić. was investigated in 1997-2000. The mortality of wintering pupae and the rate of fungal infections were also examined. The mortality of the horse-chestnut leafminer was nearly 40% at the end of spring. The spectrum of fungi on examined dead pupae was as follows: Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viégas, Cladosporium herbarum (Persoon: Fries) Link, Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fresen.) de Vries, Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Acremonium strictum W. Gams, Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenberg: Fries) Lind., Arthrinium phaeospermum (Corda) Ellis and Acremonium sp. 1. Verticillium lecanii was the only identified fungus with an entomophagous status. The fungus is, however, a well documented entomopathogen of Homoptera, particularly of aphids, scale insects and whiteflies in tropical and subtropical regions.

Keywords

• cameraria ohridella
• horse-chestnut leafminer
• horse-chestnut
• entomophagous fungi
• verticillium lecanii
• mortality
• population dynamics