Identification of Fungi Associated to <i>Pseudips mexicanus</i> (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) as a Possible Biocontrol Agent

Entomopathogenic fungi are an important insect biological control group, however most of the fungi described as biological controllers have a broad spectrum of insect hosts. Pseudips mexicanus is a bark beetle that infests pine-oak forests in Mexico, causing significant economic and ecologic losses. In addition, the infestation alters the ecology of different organisms that coexist in the forest habitat. The search for bark beetle control methods other than pesticides has led to research into biological control procedures based on naturally occurring beetle pathogens. The goal of this paper was the isolation, morphological and molecular identification of fungi that naturally parasitize the bark beetle Pseudips mexicanus, as well as to carry out infection tests to propose a specific biological control alternative to this plague. Associated to this beetle, we have identified four isolates belonging to three genus: Beauveria, Lecanicillium and Trichoderma, within these some species have been used previously as biocontrollers, mainly in agricultural use, in the process of transformation of organic crops. The LVP-2 isolated, which was identified as Beauveria was tested for infection of naturally harvested bark beetles and its pathogenicity was proved, at three days post infection (dpi) most of the individuals presented little mobility of the legs and a swelling of the body was noted, however more studies are needed to determine their viability as plague controllers in Mexican forests.