Open Access
How to translate text using browser tools
1 June 2004 Entomopathogenic fungi for mosquito control: A review
Ernst-Jan Scholte, Bart G. J. Knols, Robert A. Samson, Willem Takken
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Fungal diseases in insects are common and widespread and can decimate their populations in spectacular epizootics. Virtually all insect orders are susceptible to fungal diseases, including Dipterans. Fungal pathogens such as Lagenidium, Coelomomyces and Culicinomyces are known to affect mosquito populations, and have been studied extensively. There are, however, many other fungi that infect and kill mosquitoes at the larval and/or adult stage. The discovery, in 1977, of the selective mosquito-pathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner israelensis (Bti) curtailed widespread interest in the search for other suitable biological control agents. In recent years interest in mosquito-killing fungi is reviving, mainly due to continuous and increasing levels of insecticide resistance and increasing global risk of mosquito-borne diseases. This review presents an update of published data on mosquito-pathogenic fungi and mosquito-pathogen interactions, covering 13 different fungal genera. Notwithstanding the potential of many fungi as mosquito control agents, only a handful have been commercialized and are marketed for use in abatement programs. We argue that entomopathogenic fungi, both new and existing ones with renewed/improved efficacies may contribute to an expansion of the limited arsenal of effective mosquito control tools, and that they may contribute in a significant and sustainable manner to the control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and filariasis.

Ernst-Jan Scholte, Bart G. J. Knols, Robert A. Samson, and Willem Takken "Entomopathogenic fungi for mosquito control: A review," Journal of Insect Science 4(19), 1-24, (1 June 2004). https://doi.org/10.1673/031.004.1901
Received: 11 September 2003; Accepted: 1 March 2004; Published: 1 June 2004
KEYWORDS
biocontrol
Coelomomyces
Culicidae
Culicinomyces
hyphomycetes
insect-pathogenic fungi
Lagenidium
Back to Top