Attraction and oviposition responses of the fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens to microbes and microbe-inoculated seedlings in laboratory bioassays

Laboratory tests were conducted to examine preferences of Bradysia impatiens Johannsen (Diptera: Sciaridae) larvae and adults for various microbes associated with greenhouse crops. Fungus gnat larvae and adults exhibited a preference for cultures of Pythium spp. over the medium used to grow the path...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entomologia experimentalis et applicata 2012-11, Vol.145 (2), p.89-101
Main Authors: Braun, S.E., Sanderson, J.P., Daughtrey, M.L., Wraight, S.P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ascomycota
Beauveria bassiana
Bradysia impatiens
Diptera
Fungi
Geranium
greenhouse management
Microorganisms
Oomycota
ovipositional stimulation
Pelargonium
Peronosporales
plant disease epidemics
Preferences
Proteobacteria
Pythium
Pythium torulosum
Sciaridae
Thielaviopsis basicola
Xanthomonas campestris
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Summary:Laboratory tests were conducted to examine preferences of Bradysia impatiens Johannsen (Diptera: Sciaridae) larvae and adults for various microbes associated with greenhouse crops. Fungus gnat larvae and adults exhibited a preference for cultures of Pythium spp. over the medium used to grow the pathogens. Larvae also exhibited a preference for geranium seedlings infected with pathogenic Pythium spp. [P. aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitz., P. ultimum Trow, and P. irregulare Buis. (Oomycota: Peronosporales)] over non‐inoculated plants. Adult fungus gnats exhibited a strong ovipositional preference for the aforementioned Pythium spp. as well as a variety of other microorganisms, including the pathogenic fungus Thielaviopsis basicola (Berk. & Br.) (Ascomycota: Microascales), the geranium‐infecting bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. pelargonii (Brown) Dye (Proteobacteria: Xanthomonadales), the non‐pathogenic species Pythium torulosum Coker & P. Patt. and Pythium graminicola Subramaniam, the pathogen‐suppressive fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (Ascomycota: Hypocreales), and the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales). Our study is the first to demonstrate that fungus gnats are attracted to and/or stimulated to oviposit by a wide array of living microorganisms both in pure culture and in association with plant seedlings. These findings have important implications with respect to the potential role of fungus gnats in plant pathogen transmission.
ISSN:0013-8703
1570-7458
DOI:10.1111/j.1570-7458.2012.01315.x