Bioassay of Collected Strains of Beauveria bassiana for use against House Flies, Musca domestica, including a survey of Natural Parasitoids to Improve Biocontrol Strategies in Northeastern Poultry Facilities
Open Access
Author:
Pagac, Alexandra
Graduate Program:
Entomology
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
July 17, 2020
Committee Members:
Erika Theresa Machtinger, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Christopher J. Geden, Special Signatory Nina Ellen Jenkins, Committee Member Gregory P Martin, Committee Member Paul H Patterson, Committee Member Gary Felton, Program Head/Chair
Keywords:
house flies parasitoids pteromalidae beauveria bassiana poultry biocontrol
Abstract:
Muscid flies are a significant pest in poultry facilities, especially those specializing in egg production. Pennsylvania is one of the leading producers of eggs in the U.S., with many operations spread out across the Central and Southeastern part of the state. The presence of high numbers of muscid flies can be very costly to these operations, with little research done in calculating that cost in nearly twenty years, leaving the industry in a particularly tough situation. Muscid flies can spread both viral and bacterial pathogens, cause property damage, and increase tension between a poultry facility and its neighbors. As traditional chemical pesticides become less effective against the muscid’s uncanny ability to develop resistance to them, new research is needed for a better Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. The goals of this work were to collect isolates of the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana, screen them for virulence as a biological control tool, and to gain a more accurate regional picture of native parasitoid species in Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania.
