Comparing fungal band formulations for Asian longhorned beetle biological control

• Fungal band formulation did not affect number or viability of conidia over time.
• More conidia were acquired by beetles from agar bands versus the two oil formulations.
• Agar bands killed beetles significantly faster than the two oil-formulated materials.

Experiments were conducted with the fungal entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum to determine the feasibility of using agar-based fungal bands versus two new types of oil-formulated fungal bands for Asian longhorned beetle management. We investigated conidial retention and survival on three types of bands attached to trees in New York and Pennsylvania: standard polyester fiber agar-based bands containing fungal cultures, and two types of bands made by soaking either polyester fiber or jute burlap with oil-conidia suspensions. Fungal band formulation did not affect the number or viability of conidia on bands over the 2-month test period, although percentage conidial viability decreased significantly with time for all band types. In a laboratory experiment testing the effect of the three band formulations on conidial acquisition and beetle survival, traditional agar-based fungal bands delivered the most conidia to adult beetles and killed higher percentages of beetles significantly faster (median survival time of 27 d) than the two oil-formulated materials (36–37 d). We also tested the effect of band formulation on conidial acquisition by adult beetles kept individually in cages with a single band for 24 h, and significantly more conidia (3–7 times) were acquired by beetles from agar-based bands compared to the two oil formulations.

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