Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbial Symbioses
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1472324
This article is part of the Research Topic Current Perspectives on the Use of Entomopathogenic Fungi for Pest Control View all 3 articles

Dual suppression of Glossina pallidipes using entomopathogenic fungal-based biopesticides and sterile insect technique

Provisionally accepted
Fidelis Levi Odhiambo Ombura Fidelis Levi Odhiambo Ombura 1,2Adly M.M. ABDALLA Adly M.M. ABDALLA 3Komivi Senyo Akutse Komivi Senyo Akutse 1,4Steven Maina Runo Steven Maina Runo 2Paul O. Mireji Paul O. Mireji 5,6Rosemary Bateta Rosemary Bateta 5Joseck O Esikuri Joseck O Esikuri 1Inusa Jacob Ajene Inusa Jacob Ajene 1Fathiya Mbarak Khamis Fathiya Mbarak Khamis 1*
  • 1 International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya
  • 2 Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 3 Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
  • 4 Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
  • 5 Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 6 Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Tsetse flies and trypanosomosis significantly impact bovine production and human health in sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbating underdevelopment, malnutrition, and poverty. Despite various control strategies, long-term success has been limited. This study evaluates the combined use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and the sterile insect technique (SIT) to combat tsetse flies. Eleven EPF isolates were tested against teneral males of Glossina pallidipes, focusing on mortality rates, radial growth, and impacts on fly fitness. Temperature effects on conidial growth, sporulation, and spore yield of SIT-compatible/tolerant strains were also assessed. The fungal isolates significantly influenced mortality rates in both unirradiated and irradiated (SIT-treated) males (P < 0.0001). Metarhizium anisopliae strains ICIPE 20, ICIPE 32, ICIPE 41, ICIPE 62, ICIPE 78, and Beauveria bassiana ICIPE 603 showed higher SIT compatibility/tolerance with LT50 values of 11-30 days, compared to other more virulent isolates with LT50 values of 4-9 days. Temperature significantly affected the radial growth of SIT-compatible EPF strains (P < 0.0001), with M. anisopliae ICIPE 78 exhibiting the fastest conidia growth at 25°C. Spore yield varied significantly across temperatures (15 -40°C), and the thermal range for conidia germination of SIT-compatible strains was 8.1 -45.4°C, with an optimal range of 26.7 -31.1°C. Moreover, infected unirradiated females and irradiated males (donors) successfully transmitted conidia to untreated flies (receivers) without significant differences in survival rates (P = 0.6438) and no observed sex dimorphism. Our findings highlight the potential of combining EPF and SIT as a novel dual approach that could effectively and synergistically suppress tsetse fly populations.

    Keywords: African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT), Area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM), Beauveria bassiana, Glossina pallidipes, Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), Metarhizium anisopliae

    Received: 01 Aug 2024; Accepted: 20 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ombura, ABDALLA, Akutse, Runo, Mireji, Bateta, Esikuri, Ajene and Khamis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.