different hosts were the basis of most research area. In recent years, more researches
have been realized to develop suitable culture media, determine optimal condition
for mass production and development an effective formulation (Karimi et al. 2018).
In last decades, few commercialized insect pathogenic fungi have been registered
in Iran. These commercial mycopesticides are B. bassiana (Naturalis-L
® ) for
Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in cotton, Akanthomyces dipterigenus
(Petch) Spatafora, Kepler, Zare & B. Shrestha (¼ Verticillium lecanii, Lecanicillium
longisporum) (Vertalec
® ) (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) for aphids and Akanthomyces
lecanii (¼ Verticillium lecanii, Lecanicillium lecanii) (Mycotal
® ) (Ascomycota:
Hypocreales) for whitefly larvae in glasshouses.
A number of researchers have tried collecting fungi related to insects and mites
from the ecological regions of Iran (Ghazavi 2009; Nouri-Aiin et al. 2014;
Asadalapour et al. 2011). The most important species of EPFs are stored in the
Iranian fungal culture collection. This collection is founded in 1968, placed in
Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection and known as IRAN WDCM 939 in
“World Federation of Culture Collections: WFCC”. Totally, the ninety-one isolates
of entomopathogenic species belonging to twenty-six species and fifteen genera are
collected and conserved in this collection from 1995 (Table 11.1).
11.2 Mode of Action
The infectious propagules of insect pathogenic EPFs are generally aerial conidia and
blastospores, both commonly referred to as “spores”. When these fungal bodies
attach to host cuticle, a cascade of recognition and germination events happen during
a few hours. Charnley (1989); Boucias and Pendland (1991); Ortiz-Urquiza and
Keyhani (2013) reviewed the infection process of the fungi on their hosts. In this
process, Pr1 serine protease enzyme has a prominent role during infection by
B. bassiana Safavi (2012). Talaei-Hassanloui et al. (2007) emphasized a significant
role of nutrient media in germination of B. bassiana. Additional aspects for the
fungal mode of action by ultrastructural and cytochemical characterization of the
host invasion by the V. lecanii have been documented by Askary et al. (1997) and
Askary et al. (1999).
The process of infection in Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
and Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Ascomycota: Erysiphales) by V. lecanii follows a
sequence of events from the exposure of the host to conidia to the production of
conidiophores on host cadavers. These events include initial adherence of conidia to
the host, then germination of the conidia and production of either germ tubes or
branched hyphae that colonize the surface of the cuticle or powdery mildew body.
Generally, V. lecanii hyphae colonize host structures by tight adhesion, apparently
mediated by a thin mucilaginous matrix. Subsequent penetration by germ tubes
involves mechanical pressure and production of cuticle-degrading enzymes, such
as chitinases, as confirmed by the pattern of labelling obtained with the WGA/
ovomucoid-gold complex (Askary et al. 1997). The next phase involves extensive
‘lateral’ colonization of the procuticle in aphid and hyphaea cell wall of powdery
440
H. Askary et al.
have been realized to develop suitable culture media, determine optimal condition
for mass production and development an effective formulation (Karimi et al. 2018).
In last decades, few commercialized insect pathogenic fungi have been registered
in Iran. These commercial mycopesticides are B. bassiana (Naturalis-L
® ) for
Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in cotton, Akanthomyces dipterigenus
(Petch) Spatafora, Kepler, Zare & B. Shrestha (¼ Verticillium lecanii, Lecanicillium
longisporum) (Vertalec
® ) (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) for aphids and Akanthomyces
lecanii (¼ Verticillium lecanii, Lecanicillium lecanii) (Mycotal
® ) (Ascomycota:
Hypocreales) for whitefly larvae in glasshouses.
A number of researchers have tried collecting fungi related to insects and mites
from the ecological regions of Iran (Ghazavi 2009; Nouri-Aiin et al. 2014;
Asadalapour et al. 2011). The most important species of EPFs are stored in the
Iranian fungal culture collection. This collection is founded in 1968, placed in
Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection and known as IRAN WDCM 939 in
“World Federation of Culture Collections: WFCC”. Totally, the ninety-one isolates
of entomopathogenic species belonging to twenty-six species and fifteen genera are
collected and conserved in this collection from 1995 (Table 11.1).
11.2 Mode of Action
The infectious propagules of insect pathogenic EPFs are generally aerial conidia and
blastospores, both commonly referred to as “spores”. When these fungal bodies
attach to host cuticle, a cascade of recognition and germination events happen during
a few hours. Charnley (1989); Boucias and Pendland (1991); Ortiz-Urquiza and
Keyhani (2013) reviewed the infection process of the fungi on their hosts. In this
process, Pr1 serine protease enzyme has a prominent role during infection by
B. bassiana Safavi (2012). Talaei-Hassanloui et al. (2007) emphasized a significant
role of nutrient media in germination of B. bassiana. Additional aspects for the
fungal mode of action by ultrastructural and cytochemical characterization of the
host invasion by the V. lecanii have been documented by Askary et al. (1997) and
Askary et al. (1999).
The process of infection in Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
and Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Ascomycota: Erysiphales) by V. lecanii follows a
sequence of events from the exposure of the host to conidia to the production of
conidiophores on host cadavers. These events include initial adherence of conidia to
the host, then germination of the conidia and production of either germ tubes or
branched hyphae that colonize the surface of the cuticle or powdery mildew body.
Generally, V. lecanii hyphae colonize host structures by tight adhesion, apparently
mediated by a thin mucilaginous matrix. Subsequent penetration by germ tubes
involves mechanical pressure and production of cuticle-degrading enzymes, such
as chitinases, as confirmed by the pattern of labelling obtained with the WGA/
ovomucoid-gold complex (Askary et al. 1997). The next phase involves extensive
‘lateral’ colonization of the procuticle in aphid and hyphaea cell wall of powdery
440
H. Askary et al.