Survey of Natural Enemies of the Invasive Boxwood Moth Cydalima perspectalis in Southwestern Mediterranean Europe and Biocontrol Potential of a Native Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. Strain
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Date
2022
Authors
López Alonso, Carmen
Las Heras, Sandra
Garrido-Jurado, Inmaculada
Quesada-Moraga, Enrique
Eizaguirre Altuna, Matilde
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Abstract
Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a species native to East Asia, has been
especially devastating in the Mediterranean region and Catalonia, northeast Spain, where Buxus
sempervirens is an essential component of the natural forest. As an invasive species, the lack of
biotic mortality factors in the arrival region has been one of the main factors allowing its expansion.
Therefore, this study aimed to collect and identify possible indigenous natural enemies adapting to the
new species in the boxwood of the southwest Mediterranean region. Later, the efficacy of some of the
collected species for controlling C. perspectalis larvae was tested in laboratory conditions. The larval
collection was carried out in successive years in the boxwood of the region. Several collected larvae
were infected with an entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana, or parasitized by Compsilura concinnata,
both common in native Lepidoptera caterpillars. The B. bassiana strain was found to be highly virulent
against the developed larvae of C. perspectalis, which suggests that B. bassiana may be an effective
treatment in parks and gardens when the first overwintering larvae are detected. The biology of the
parasitoid identified is not very well known in Europe, which suggests the necessity of studying its
biology and alternative hosts in the region in order to improve its population.
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Insects, 2022, vol. 13, núm. 9, art. 781.