Exposure of Bed Bugs to Metarhizium anisopliae at Different Humidities

Kevin R Ulrich; Mark F Feldlaufer; Matthew Kramer; Raymond J St Leger

doi:10.1603/EC14294

Exposure of Bed Bugs to Metarhizium anisopliae at Different Humidities

J Econ Entomol. 2014 Dec;107(6):2190-5. doi: 10.1603/EC14294.

Authors

Kevin R Ulrich¹, Mark F Feldlaufer², Matthew Kramer³, Raymond J St Leger⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. kru@umd.edu.
² Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705.
³ Biometrical Consulting Service, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705.
⁴ Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.

PMID: 26470085
DOI: 10.1603/EC14294

Abstract

Bed bugs Cimex lectularius L. were exposed to conidia (spores) of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae by feeding, aerosol spray, or contact with a treated surface. Feeding experiments demonstrated that bed bugs were innately susceptible to this fungus. However, only at 98% humidity were mortality rates high, regardless of whether bed bugs were sprayed with a fungal solution or contacted a treated surface. Mortality in treated bed bugs at ambient humidity did not increase when these bed bugs were kept in aggregation with other bed bugs that had recently blood fed to repletion. Based on these laboratory studies, we conclude that M. anisopliae is a poor pathogen for use in control of bed bugs, particularly at humidities that would likely be encountered under field conditions.

Keywords: Cimex lectularius; Metarhizium anisopliae; bed bug; entomopathogenic fungi; humidity.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Animals
Bedbugs / microbiology*
Female
Host-Pathogen Interactions*
Humidity*
Male
Metarhizium / physiology*
Pest Control, Biological / methods*