Work

Pathogen Identification and Treatment of Trichoderma koningiopsis ZL01 Mycosis in Firefly Pygoluciola sp. (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The artificial breeding of fireflies is vital for supplementing natural populations. Unfortunately, mycosis is being observed with increasing frequency in the artificial breeding of fireflies, resulting in increased mortality. This study reports the identification of a microfungus that infects larval Pygoluciola sp., a species of semi-aquatic fireflies, during artificial breeding. Morphological and molecular analysis identified the fungi as Trichoderma koningiopsis (named as ZL01 strain). In addition, nystatin was selected out of five candidates as the optimal antifungal agent against T. koningiopsis ZL01, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 25.00 μg/mL. Acute oral and contact in vivo toxicity tests on larval Pygoluciola sp. confirmed the safety of nystatin. Furthermore, compared to a Pygoluciola sp. larval population infected with T. koningiopsis ZL01, nystatin treatment increased the survival rate of larvae by twofold (spray administration) and threefold (drip administration) at the end of a nine-day artificial breeding experiment. These findings indicate that nystatin could be used as a potential antifungal agent to control mycosis in artificially bred fireflies. This study was the first to document the infection of semi-aquatic fireflies by pathogens and provide a corresponding treatment strategy.

Source: Insects

DOI: 10.3390/insects16121193

Authors: Yan-Hong Chen, Shi-Ling Wang, Fu-Xin Li, Lian-Bing Lin, Wei-Wei Li, Qi-Lin Zhang

Institutions: Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control

Subfield: Insect Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137