Applying local entomopathogenic fungi strains to the soil can control Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Wiedemann adults

Ceratitis capitata causes direct and indirect damage to fruit production worldwide, reducing productivity and increasing costs. Currently, there is no effective control strategy for fruit fly pupae in the soil. We selected virulent local entomopathogenic fungi (EF) strains for application against pupae of C. capitata and evaluated their effects on the post-emergence survival of adults in laboratory conditions. A cage was designed to study mortality in apparently healthy C. capitata adults that emerged from soils previously treated with EF conidia. This approach allowed the selection of four strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and two strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) that were virulent to C. capitata pupae. The application of B. bassiana strains LCB53 and LCB289 caused 44.4 and 60.1% corrected pupae mortality and 83.5 and 88.7% corrected mortality of pupae plus adults, respectively. The median lethal time after adult emergence was 4.0 and 3.5 days for LCB53 and LCB289, respectively. The application of conidial preparations to natural soil reduced insect emergence and the adult life span and represents a promising strategy for fruit fly integrated management.