2010 Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages 225-231
To examine the feasibility of using endophytic fungi (/endophyte) as biological control agents against insect pests of host plants, the effect of Neotyphodium lolii, an endophyte living in perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L., was studied using two species of caterpillars: the Oriental corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the pink borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Choice and no-choice feeding tests using endophyte-infected and endophyte-free clonal L. perenne indicate that endophyte-infected L. perenne have excellent resistance to O. furnacalis and S. inferens. Larvae of O. furnacalis significantly preferred endophyte-free to endophyte-infected grass. The ratio of surviving insects rapidly declined on infected grass and the survival curve on infected grass was similar to that of larvae of the no-food control. A similar trend occurred with S. inferens. These results indicate that N. lolii-infected L. perenne contains strong deterrent or toxic effects that affect O. furnacalis and S. inferens feeding and survival.
