Efectividad de hongos entomopatógenos en el manejo de Pseudacysta perseae (Heid.) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) en aguacate (Persea americana Mill.) Effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi in the management of Pseudacysta perseae (Heid.) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)

Abstract

The avocado lace bug Pseudacysta perseae (Heid.) constitutes the most important pest in avocado plantations in Cuba. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the entomopathogenic fungi effectiveness in the pest management of avocado plantations. Applications of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Bull., Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok., and Lecanicillium (= Verticillium) lecanii (Zimm.) Zare & Gams (4 l/tree and conidia 4x10 11 /tree) in field conditions provided protection 92 days after application (DAA) in more than 70% of biological effectiveness. The biological application effectiveness was shown in ascending way between 16 and 30 DAA. At 30 dda, all treatments showed a biological efficacy exceeding 90%. The adult populations and lace bug nymphs were lower in trees treated with entomopathogenic fungi in relation to the control. The susceptibility of P. perseae populations to entomopathogenic fungi provides guidelines for the possible implementation of an ecological strategy to control the lace bug.