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Isolation of entomopathogenic gram positive spore forming bacteria effective against coleoptera.

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Date

2009

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Abstract

Fourteen spore-forming bacterial strains were isolated and screened for entomopathogenic activity. Five displayed toxicity towards the common mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). The majority of the isolates were obtained from insect larvae and insect rich environments. The three bacterial species identified were Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, Brevibacillus laterosporus Laubach and Bacillus cereus Frankland and Frankland. Bioassays were conducted using T. molitor larvae. The one isolate of B. cereus required the highest concentration of bacterial cells to achieve its LC50, whereas one of the isolates of B. laterosporus required the lowest cell concentration to achieve its LC50. Dose response curves were generated for the five best isolates, which showed that the isolate of B. laterosporus (NDR2) was substantially more toxic than the other isolates.

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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Keywords

Bacillus (Bacteria), Bacillus thuringiensis., Bacillus cereus., Microbial insecticides., Insect pests--Biological control., Biological pest control agents., Sugarcane--Diseases and pests--South Africa., Tenebrionidae--South Africa., Scarabaeidae--South Africa., Theses--Plant pathology.

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