Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural Science (GARJAS) ISSN: 2315-5094
April 2017 Vol. 6(4): pp. 089-096
Copyright © 2017 Global Advanced Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Natural Enemies Associated to the Borer of Branches of the Avocado Tree, Copturus Aguacatae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Tingüindín, Michoacán, México

¹José Eleazar Gómez-Palacios, ¹Gabriel Gallegos-Morales*, ¹Oswaldo García-Martínez, ²Claudio Rios-Velasco and ³Alejandro González-Hernández.

¹Departamento de Parasitología Agrícola, Universidad Autónoma  Agraria Antonio Narro, Calzada Antonio Narro 1923, Buenavista, Saltillo, Coahuila, México, C.P. 25315.

²Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Campus Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Av. Río Conchos S/N, Parque Industrial. C.P. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, México.

³Facultad  de  Ciencias  Biológicas,  Universidad  Autónoma  de  Nuevo  León,  Av. Universidad s/n Ciudad Universitaria. San Nicolás de Los Garza, N. L., México.

Email: ggalmor@uaaan.mx

Accepted 10 April, 2017

Abstract

The borer of branches of the avocado tree, Copturus aguacatae Kissinger, 1957 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most important insect pests that directly affect the (Persea americana Mill.) cv. Hass tree. To control this insect, different methods have been used but they have been ineffective, however, studies of natural enemies of C. aguacatae have been limited in the avocado producing area of the Municipality of Tingüindín, Michoacán. In this study parasitoids of the genera Euderus Haliday and Brasema Cameron belonging to the Eulophidae and Eupelmidae families, respectively, with parasitism percentage of ≥1.0% to 16.0% were found. Twenty-eight isolates of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated and morphologically and molecularly identified, 26 belonging to Metarhizium genus, 13 corresponding to M. anisopliae and eight to M. robertsii, five remaining as Metarhizium spp., and two corresponding to Beauveria spp., according to their morphological characters. Pathogenicity tests with eight isolates of M. anisopliae and two M.  robertsii caused a mortality ≥70%, considered with favorable pathogenic characteristics to be used in biological control programs of borer of avocado tree.

Keywords: Entomopathogens,  Parasitism,  Pathogenicity,  Euderus,  Brasema, Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium robertsii.