Strain of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae for controlling subterranean termites

US7790151B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Agriculture · US

Inventors

• Ashok K. Raina · Beltsville, US
• Maureen S. Wright · New Orleans, US
• Alan R. Lax · New Orleans, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 24, 2006
• Grant date: Sep 7, 2010
• Expiry date: Feb 28, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A01N63/30
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Alates of the Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, collected after swarming in 2002 died within 48 hrs, and the cadavers were visibly infected with a fungus. Fungi were picked from the cadavers, transferred to media and ultimately isolated to purity. A single fungal isolate, C4-B, taxonomically identified as Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff), was found to cause rapid mortality of FST alates. This is the first report of a biological control agent for termite alates. Strain C4-B was more lethal to both alates and workers when compared to M. anisopliae strain ESC1, marketed as the termite biocontrol agent BioBlast®. 100% of FST alates exposed to C4-B spores (106 spores/μl) were killed in 3 days. Field studies where C4-B spores were dispersed on grassy lawns resulted in 100% mortality of alates by day 5.