• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.463-468
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• 2005

Studying the bacteria of hazardous insects allows the opportunity to find potentially better biological control agents. Therefore, in this study, bacteria from summer chafer (Amphimallon solstitiale L., Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) we isolated and identified the insecticidal effects of bacteria isolated from A. solstitiale and Melolontha melolontha L. (common cockchafer, Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the mixtures of these bacterial isolates were investigated on A. solstitiale larvae. Crystals from Bacillus sp. isolated from M. melolontha were also purified, and tested against the second and third-stage larvae of A. solstitiale. The bacterial isolates of A. solstitiale were identified as Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus, based on their morphology, spore formation, nutritional features, and physiological and biochemical characteristics. The insecticidal effects of the bacterial isolates determined on the larvae of A. solstitiale were $90\%$ with B. cereus isolated from A. solstitiale, and $75\%$ with B. cereus, B. sphaericus and B. thuringiensis isolated from M. melolontha within ten days. The highest insecticidal effects of the mixed infections on the larvae of A. solstitiale were $100\%$ both with B. cereus+B. sphaericus and with B. cereus+B. thuringiensis. In the crystal protein bioassays, the highest insecticidal effect was $65\%$ with crystals of B. thuringiensis and B. sphaericus isolated from M. melolontha within seven days. Finally, our results showed that the mixed infections could be utilized as microbial control agents, as they have a $100\%$ insecticidal effect on the larvae of A. solstitiale.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2020

Root-feeding Scarabaeidae, particularly white grubs are considered among the most harmful coleopteran insect pests in turfgrass. In this work, sixteen entomopathogenic fungal species were assayed against flower chafer beetle, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and Metarhizium anisopliae JEF-314 showed high virulence. The control ability of the isolate JEF-314 has been in detail tested for a model insect flower chafer beetle. Further analyses showed insect stage-dependent virulence where the fungal virulence was the highest against smaller instar larvae. Additionally, we confirmed that millet-based solid cultured granule was effective against the soil-dwelling larval stage. The isolate also showed a similar ability for a representative pest (Popillia spp.) in laboratory conditions. Our results clearly suggest a high potential of M. anisopliae JEF-314 to control the flower chafer beetle, possibly resulting in controlling of root-feeding white grubs in turfgrass. Based on the insect life cycle and susceptibility to the fungus, late spring and summer time would be the optimum time to apply JEF-314 granules for an effective control. Further characterization of the efficacy of the fungus under field conditions against the Scarabaeidae beetles might provide an efficient tool to control this beetle in an environment-friendly way.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 2002

The chestnut brown chafer, Adoretus tenuimaculatus Waterhouse, is serious insect pests in golf courses. Adults feed on the leaves of latifoliate trees but larvae feed on roots of turfgrases such as bentgrass, Agrostis spp. Damage of A. tenuimaculatus larvae was observed at the Jinju golf club which showed damage symptom on perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne in tees and fairways in July, 2000. Damaged turf by A. tenuimaculatus larvae became yellowish and wilted. Symptom of laval damage of A. tenuimaculatus was similar to summer depression in warm season turfgrasses but not recovered by irrigation when Korean isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes were evaluated for the control of A. tenuimaculatus larvae in laboratory and field as a possible biological control agent. The nematodes used were Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Jeju strain, Hererorhabditis sp. Gyeongsan strain, Steinernema carpocapsae Pocheon strain, S.glaseri Dongrea strain, and S.longicaudum Nonsan strain. In the laboratory test H.bacreriophora Jeju strain and Heterorhabditis sp. Gyeongsan strain were highly effective for 3rd instars with 95% mortality. In the field test reduction rates of A.tenuimaculatus larvae were higher by ranging from 28 to 57% by H. bacteriophora Jeju strain, Heterorhabditis sp. Gyeongsan strain, and S.carpocapsae Pocheon strain compared to 7% by natural cause.