Entomobicidal toxins and proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Bacillus thuringiensis var.

tenebrinos Foil M-One M-Track, Novardo Trident Bitoxibacillin P is a Russian bacterial insecticide that has a biological activity of no less than 1500 U/mg. The active ingredient is a
crystalline form of the Bacillus thuringiensis var thuringie...

Tables
Table 1.

Microbial Insecticides: A summary of products and their uses.

PATHOGEN

PRODUC T NAME

HOST RANGE BACTERIA

USES AND COMMENTS

Bactur, Bactospein e, Bioworm , Caterpillar Killer, Dipel, Bacillus caterpillars (larvae of thuringiensis var.kurst Futura, moths and butterflies) Javelin, aki (Bt) SOK-Bt, Thuricide , Topside, Tribactur , Worthy Attack Aquabee, Bactimos , Gnatrol, larvae LarvX, ofAedes andPsorophoramo Mosquito squitoes, black flies, and Attack, fungus gnats Skeetal, Teknar, Vectobac

Effective for foliage-feeding caterpillars (and Indian meal moth in stored grain). Deactivated rapidly in sunlight; apply in the evening or on overcast days and direct some spray to lower surfaces or leaves. Does not cycle extensively in the environment. Available as liquid concentrates, wettable powders, and ready to use dusts and granules. Active only if ingested. Effective against larvae only. Active only if ingested. Culex andAnopheles mosquitoes are not controlled at normal application rates. Activity is reduced in highly turbid or polluted water. Does not cycle extensively in the environment. Applications generally made over wide areas

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bt)

PATHOGEN

PRODUC T NAME

HOST RANGE

USES AND COMMENTS by mosquito and blackfly abatement districts.

Foil M-One Bacillus larvae of Colorado potato thuringiensis var.teneb M-Track, beetle, elm leaf beetle rinos adults Novardo Trident Bacillus thuringiensis var.aiza Certan wai Used only for control of was moth infestations in honeybee hives. The main Illinois lawn grub (the Doom, annual white Japidemic grub, Cyclocephala sp.) Is NOT Bacillus , Milky susceptible to milky spore larvae (grubs) of Japanese popilliaeand Bacillus Spore disease. The disease is very beetle Disease, lentimorbus effective against Japanese beetle Grub grubs (not a major pest in Attack Illinois) and cycles effectively for years in the soil. Active only if ingested, for use against Culex, Vectolex Psorophora, andCuliseta specie larvae ofCulex, CG, s; also effective against Aedes Psorophora,and Culisetam Bacillus sphaericus vexans. Remains effective in osquitos, larvae of Vectolex stagnant or turbid water. someAedes spp. Commercial formulations will WDG not cycle to infect subsequent generations. FUNGI Botanigard Effective against several pests. , High moisture requirements, aphids, fungus gnats, mealy lack of storage longevity, and Beauveria bassiana Mycotrol bugs, mites, thrips, competition with other soil whiteflies , microorganisms are problems that remain to be solved. Naturalis Effective against larvae of most larvae of most pest pest mosquito species; remains Lagenidium giganteum Laginex mosquito species infective in the environment through dry periods. A main wax moth caterpillars Effective against Colorado potato beetle larvae and the elm leaf beetle. Like other Bts, it must be ingested. It is subject to breakdown in ultraviolet light and does not cycle extensively in the environment.

PATHOGEN

PRODUC T NAME

HOST RANGE

USES AND COMMENTS drawback is its inability to survive high summertime temperatures.

PROTOZOA Useful for rangeland grasshopper control. Active only if ingested. Not recommended for use on a small scale, such as backyard gardens, because the disease is slow acting and grasshoppers are very mobile. Also effective against caterpillars. All of the viral insecticides used for control of forest pests are produced and used exclusively by the U.S. Forest Service.

Nosema locustae

NOLO European cornborer Bait, caterpillars, grasshoppers Grasshopp and mormon crickets er Attack

VIRUSES Gypsy moth nuclear plyhedrosis (NPV) Gypchek gypsy moth caterpillars virus TM Biocontrol tussock moth caterpillars -1 Neochekpine sawfly larvae S

Tussock moth NPV Pine sawfly NPV

Commercially produced and marketed briefly, but no longer registered or available. Future Codling moth (see re-registration is possible. codling moth caterpillars granulosis virus (GV) comments) Active only if ingested. Subject to rapid breakdown in ultraviolet light. ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODES Biosafe, Steinernema riobravis is the main nematode species marketed retail in the U.S. Ecomask Steinernema Because of moisture , feltiae(=Neoaplectana requirements, it is effective Scanmask carpocapsae) S. larvae of a wide variety of primarily against insects in , also riobravis, S. soil-dwelling and boring moist soils or inside plant sold carpocapsae and insects tissues. Prolonged storage or generically other Steinernemaspec extreme temperatures before use (wholesale ies may kill or debilitate the and retail), nematodes. Effective in cool temperatures. Vector Heterorhabditis currently larvae of a wide variety of Not commonly available by

PATHOGEN heliothidis

PRODUC HOST RANGE T NAME available soil-dwelling and boring on a insects wholesale basis for large scale operations

USES AND COMMENTS retail in the U.S.; this species is used more extensively in Europe. Available by wholesale or special order for research or large-scale commercial uses. Similar in use toSteinernema species but with some differences in host range, infectivity, and temperature requirements.

PATHOGEN S. scapterisci is the main nematode species marketed to Nematac late nymph and adult stages target the tawny and southern S of mole crickets mole cricket. Best applied where irrigation is available. Irrigate after application.

Steinernema scapterisci

Footnotes

Entomopathogenic nematodes as biological control agents could provide an alternative to chemical pesticides in management of this noxious pest. In a laboratory bioassay, four species of entomopathogenic nematodes includingSteinernema carpocapsae, S. feltiae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, and H. megidisshowed highest virulence against both larval and adult stages of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata at temperatures higher than 15oC when tested at the rate of 200 -2000 infective juveniles per individual of Colorado potato beetle
Beneficial nematodes seek out and kill all stages of harmful soil-dwelling insects. They can be used to control a broad range of soil-inhabiting insects and above-ground insects in their soil-inhabiting stage of life. More than 200 species of insect pests from 100 insect families are susceptible to these insect predators. They are a natural and effective alternative to chemical pesticides, and have no detrimental affect on non-target species such as ladybugs, earth worms and other helpful garden insects.Finally, there is no evidence that parasitic nematodes or their symbiotic bacteria can develop in vertebrates. This makes nematode use for insect pest control safe and environmentally friendly.

Beneficial nematodes can be applied anytime during the year when soil-dwelling insects are present and soil tempertures are above 52-F during the day. Beneficial nematodes seek out and kill over 200 pest insects in the soil. They are a natural effective alternative to chemical pesticides. The two spotted stink bug, Perillus bioculatus, is an good predator of Colorado potato beetle. Five

consecutive releases of the bugs starting when eggs were present maintained plots in New Brunswick, Canada virtually free from the beetle. Spot releases against late larval instars resulted in poor control of potato beetles. Although the bugs disperse slowly between plants, they spread from the release plots over the rest of the experimental farm where they kept the plants free from any significant beetle damage. Treatment by Conventional methods is found to be less effective because of their resistive capacity against those synthetic pesticides. Natural technique of using horticultural mineral oil like Neem oil reaps positive results in controlling the species of Colorado potato beetle more efficiently than all other insecticides. Azadirachtin of Neem oil terminates the beetles at larva stage by altering the secretion of certain hormones on feeding the plant leaves sprayed with neem oil. On mature stage of the beetle, they can even resist neem oil, so the process of eradication is started from the post fertilization of insect. Eggs of the beetles
are laid over the leaves in patches in order to keep leaves as their source of food for growth. Thus spraying of neem oil over the leaves can terminate the eggs and larvae if any. No need for hesitation to spray neem oil on the leaves as it is done during night times, and the region also belongs to be temperate with less sunlight exposure and thus there is no possibility of leaf curl in the plants. In general, a

good way to reduce insect pest numbers is with a pathogen that causes disease in the insect, is specific to it, but does not kill its natural enemies. A number of new Btt (Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis) products have high selectivity for Colorado potato beetles and virtually no mammalian toxicity. Btt works best against the early larval stages, so must be timed properly. Wait until all the egg masses have hatched. You can tell because only the shells will be left, and little larvae will be crawling nearby. The larvae have to eat the Btt from the leaf, so coat the leaves thoroughly, especially the undersides. Beauveria bassiana is a commercially available

fungal pathogen that is effective against Colorado potato beetles. Beauveria bassiana has a wider host range than Btt and works best under moist conditions. As with the Btt, it is most effective against the young larvae. However, it can also be sprayed directly on the beetles. Providing habitat and resources for natural enemies: Natural enemies are generally not active during the winter
in the Northeast. Unless they are re-released each year, they must have a suitable environment for overwintering. For example, the pink-spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata) can be an important predator of Colorado potato beetle eggs and larvae.

Mass Culture and Periodic Release of Natural Enemies

Natural enemies that are repeatedly released require more direct investment and involvement by the farmer. Effectiveness depends on timing and compatible environmental conditions.

Bacillus thuringiensis (commonly called Bt) is an important Bacillus bacteria for insect pest control. Commercially available Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) varieties and

target pests:
y

var. tenebrionis Colorado potato beetle and elm leaf beetle larvae

Fungi
(Click here for a 9KB color photo of a fungus.)

Beauveria bassiana, known as the white muscardine fungus because infected larvae turn white or gray, is available as a commercial formulation for whiteflies, aphids, grasshoppers, Colorado potato beetle, bark beetles, lygus bugs, chinch bug, European corn borer, and codling moth.
Microbial insecticides are comprised of microscopic living organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or nematodes) or the toxins produced by these organisms. They are formulated to be applied as conventional insecticidal sprays, dusts, liquid drenches, liquid concentrates, wettable powders, or granules. Bacterial pathogens used for insect control are spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria in the genus Bacillus. They occur commonly in soils, and most insecticidal strains have been isolated from soil samples. Bacterial insecticides must be eaten to be effective; they are not contact poisons. Insecticidal products comprised of a single Bacillus species may be active against an entire order of insects, or they may be effective against only one or a few species. Bacillus thurigiensis var. san diego, sold under the trade name M-One, was first registered for use against larvae of the Colorado potato beetle. This product also kills elm leaf beetle adults and larvae, but it is not pathogenic or toxic to some other key beetle pests, such as the corn rootworms and other related species. Registration of Trident, a very similar product containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis, is pending.