Waqas Wakil

University of Agriculture · Entomology

This study determined the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana (Bals. -Criv.) Vuill., Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin, and diatomaceous earth mixed with abamectin (DEA) alone and in their combinations for the integrated management of larvae and adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) from three field populations of Pakistan (Multan, Rawalpind...

Background: Two consecutive field trials using a blend of entomopathogens in combination with a new chemistry insecticide were conducted to determine treatment effects on onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman) populations, crop damage, plant development, crop yield and impact on natural enemies. Products were tested in an onion cropping system and...

The present study evaluated insecticide resistance in field populations of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), collected from eight different onion-growing regions of Punjab, Pakistan. These field-collected populations were assessed for resistance development against eight commonly used active ingredients including delta...

This study determined the efficacy of the Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) alone or combined with the diatomaceous earth DEA (a mixture of DE + abamectin) against adults and larvae of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). DEA was evaluated at 50 ppm while the fungi at 1.6 × 105, 1.6...

The necrotrophic fungus Ascochyta rabiei causes Ascochyta blight (AB) disease in chickpea which infects all aerial parts of the plant, which results in severe yield loss. In order to evaluate the effects of resistance inducers Bion ® (acibenzolar-S-methyl), salicylic acid (SA), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and plant extracts of neem (Azadirachta indic...

The current study examines the efficacy of the semi-synthetic insecticide spinetoram and entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) as wheat protectants against the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (...

The efficacy of most synthetic insecticides has been compromised against Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) due to its cryptic feeding behavior, hence there is a dire need to find other eco-friendly effective management approaches to combat this notorious pest. The susceptibility of 2nd and 4th larval instars of C. partellus was assessed against Bacillus th...

Field trials were conducted on the efficacy of different control options against Helicoverpa armigera on tomato. We evaluated and compared pest control, safety to natural enemies, crop yield and economics of application for various treatments including: a mycoinsecticide based on Beauveria bassiana; a baculovirus, H. armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (...

This is the first field study in which we have tested the efficacy of four different entomopathogenic fungal (EPF) formulations together in single study—i.e., Green Muscle, Green Guard, Metarhizium anisopliae, and an isolate of Beauveria bassiana (isolate WG-11)—against nymphs and adults of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskål (Orthopte...

In the current study we have tested the application of Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) alone and in combination with fipronil at two doses against Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), Sitophilus granarius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera:...

Background: The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, and the Oriental fruit fly, B. dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), are economically important fruit fly species in various regions of the world. We evaluated the effects of separate and combined applications of the entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana (WG-18), Metarhizium anisopliae (WG-0...

This datasheet on Rhyzopertha dominica covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Hosts/Species Affected, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Prevention/Control, Further Information.

Background The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a serious threat to date palms across the globe, causing heavy yield losses. The pest inflicts damage to palms stem and destroys vascular system; resultantly lower the vigor and affect the growth and yield. For ecological farming system, biolog...

The development of resistance in stored-grain insect pests can be effectively reduced by using biological control methods. Entomopathogenic fungi have been under consideration as complementary and alternative agents to synthetic insecticides. The aim of this study is to identify the pathogenic potential of four different fungal isolates of Beauveri...

Fruit flies including Bactrocera zonata and B. dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) are considered major pests of orchard systems in Pakistan. This study evaluated the laboratory virulence, sub-lethal effects, horizontal transmission, greenhouse, and field-cage efficacy of locally isolated entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) against B. zonata and B. dorsalis....

Efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis against the larvae of Helicoverpa armigera and its compatibility with Metarhizium anisopliae and chlorantraniliprole used against this insect pest Abstract This study was designed to evaluate Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and its combination with Metarhizium anisopliae and new chemistry insecticide-chlora...

Tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) is an economically significant pest. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have shown promise as biocontrol agents against certain thrips species, but they have not been explored for suppression of F. fusca. We investigated the potential of EPNs to manage F. fusca by conducting three different bioassays: 1) a...

We evaluated ten different species of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. megidis, H. georgiana, H. floridensis, H. indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, S. riobrave, S. feltiae, S. rarum and S. glaseri against different developmental stages i.e. larvae, pupae and adults of fruit flies species Bactrocera zonata and Bactro...

The metabolic changes that took place during host-pathogen interaction have been poorly investigated. Although photosynthesis disturbance and carbon metabolism re-programming have been studied yet, there is scary of data on plant amino acids after induction of resistance. Here we investigated the amino acid contents in induced and un-inoculated and...

Ecological consideration is of key importance in finding fungi and other entomopathogens for managing insect pests. The probability of finding entomopathogenic fungi is increased by knowing the soil characteristics supporting fungal survival and diversity. Many opportunistic fungi are closely associated with EPF in soil. Diversity and occurrence of...

Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is one of the most damaging insect pests of onions, Allium cepa L., which is an economically important agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. In this study, the combined application of entomopathogenic nematodes with entomopathogenic fungi against different soil dwelling stages of T. t...

The residual efficacy of the enhanced diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation DEBBM alone and in combination with Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) or with the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid against Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Coleopt...

Onion thrips Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is one of the most damaging insect pests of onion Allium cepa L., which is an economically important agriculture crop cultivated worldwide. This is first comprehensive study in which we have tested a broad range of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species against different developmental...

In Pakistan, the control of stored-product insect pests mainly relies on the use of phosphine gas along with other control tactics. The aim of this study was to determine the level of phosphine resistance among ten differently located populations of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), the granary weevil, Si...

Laboratory experiments were conducted in Pakistan to investigate the effectiveness of the diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation, Protect-It, at 150 ppm and imidacloprid, at 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 ppm, alone or in combination, against the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus Stephens (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha...

Adequate nutrition plays a very important role in mitigating disease damage. Nevertheless, no specific rule exists that how a specific nutrient can alter the severity of the disease. Normally, plants are stressed by different environmental confines may be weakened and susceptible to disease and these include nutrient scarce plants. Tissue contents...

Abstract The Oriental leaf worm moth, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is among the most voracious insect pests in a variety of economically important crops, particularly cotton. It has developed resistance against conventional chemical insecticides. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate an integrated application of bio- and synthetic...

The members of family Noctuidae exist in diverse environments and many species from this group are of agriculture importance, particularly Helicoverpa spp. Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major pest of many legumes and cereal crops. Due to environmental and regulatory concerns, safe alternatives to broad spectrum chemica...

The objectives of this study were to quantify the virulence of four entomopathogenic fungal species to pupae of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and to determine the potential to combine entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) for biological control of this pest. The four species of EPFs included Beauv...

Environmental factors such as temperature and desiccation impact the survival and efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). Most studies on environmental tolerance have focused on EPNs applied in aqueous suspension. Another approach for EPN application is via infected host cadavers. Emergence in host cadavers is also more representative of nem...

The apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is considered a key pest of apples and is native to the eastern United States. The virulence of seven different species of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) was assessed against pupae of R. pomonella under laboratory conditions. Nematode species and strains included Steinernema c...

Pre-treatment of plants with chemical elicitors can induce systemic resistance against plant pathogens and insect herbivores. The plan of the study was to study induction of defense responses and protective effects against Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and sucking insect pests of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with application of salicylic...

Stored grain pests cause great damage to various grain products, and protection against these pests is currently based on synthetic insecticides and fumigants. As a result, these chemicals cause problems, including grain contamination with chemical residues and the development of resistance by insect pests to these chemicals. Therefore, to combat t...

Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a voracious pest of date palm worldwide. Pakistan ranks sixth in date palm production globally. Losses to date palm plantations in Pakistan sometimes surpass 10%-20%. Most of the traditional management strategies used by farmers have been found insignificant to combat this voracious pest. The entomopath...

The global food security is a big challenge for the growers to fulfill the dietary needs of increasing world population. More than one-third of produced food is lost during postharvest operations (harvesting, threshing, drying, transportation, and storage). Overwhelming these issues, mainly in developing countries, can be a good solution to elimina...

Biocontrol potential of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) was investigated under laboratory conditions against maize stem borer Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Three dose rates of B. bassiana (1 × 10⁴, 1 × 10⁶ and 1 × 10⁸ conidia/ml) and one of B. thuringiensis (0.75 µg/g) were applied...

Inert dust insecticides (IDIs) can make a significant contribution to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs of stored grain providing insect control and preserving grain quality during storage. Unlike chemical-based insecticides, IDIs are unaffected by even high summer temperatures and maintain efficacy for many months rather than the days or w...

Fifteen different isolates of entomopathogenic fungi including Beauveria bassiana, B. brongniartii, Metarhizium anisopliae and Purpureocillium lilacinum were tested for their effectiveness against different developmental stages of red palm weevil R. ferrugineus. After 21 days of exposure, B. bassiana isolates (WG-23 and WG-25) caused 100% mortality...

The red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is an important pest of date palms in many regions of the world. This paper reports the first survey of insecticide resistance in field populations of R. ferrugineus in Pakistan which were collected from seven date palm growing areas across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces, Pakist...

This chapter reviews the history of the tomato from its origins in South America to its spread through Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Its classification and nomenclature including unique morphological, physiological, and sexual characteristics are also discussed. From its humble beginnings in isolated valleys that possess particular clima...

The title of this chapter is not meant to indicate that these tomato pests are not important in some areas of tomato production-they are. The designation of "minor" pests simply means these pests are often localized to one area of tomato production, or, if they are common throughout most tomato production areas, their ability to damage a tomato cro...

The Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a globally obnoxious insect pest of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Different concentrations of Beauveria bassiana and single concentration of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and their combination was applied on 2 nd , 4 th and 6 th grub instars. The data of mycosis, sporulation, number of nematode...

The Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a globally obnoxious insect pest of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Different concentrations of Beauveria bassiana and single concentration of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and their combination was applied on 2 nd , 4 th and 6 th grub instars. The data of mycosis, sporulation, number of nematode...

Nineteen different isolates of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana sensu lato (s.l.) and Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. (Ascomycota: Hypocreales), recovered from different soil samples (field crops, fruit orchards, vegetable fields and forests) and insect cadavers were tested against Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculion...

This study was carried out to investigate the insecticidal properties of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora for their virulence against different larval instars of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier). Both fungi were either applied alone or in combination, with H. bacteriophora simultaneously or 1 and 2 wee...

Sustainable Management of Arthropod Pests of Tomato provides insight into the proper and appropriate application of pesticides and the integration of alternative pest management methods. The basis of good crop management decisions is a better understanding of the crop ecosystem, including the pests, their natural enemies, and the crop itself. This...

Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) is an important potential pathogen which can control a wide range of bollworm larvae in both agricultural and horticultural crpos. Flubendiamide is a new chemistry insecticide which also controls bollworm effectively and relatively safer for natural enemies and beneficial arthropods. Present investigations were carr...

Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) is one of the notorious and polyphagous insect pest with broad host range of more than one hundred plants including 40 plant families. This pest flourishes under favorable conditions causing 70 to 100% yield losses to crops at their blossoming and vegetative stages. Many species of insect pests...

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is a voracious pest of palm species. In recent decades its range has expanded greatly, particularly impacting the date palm industry in the Middle East. This has led to conjecture regarding the origins of invasive RPW populations. For example, in parts of the Middle East, RPW is commonly...

The studies were carried out to identify the resistant potential of 26 IRBB lines (10 Near Isogenic Lines (NILs) and 16 pyramids) provided by the IRRI, Philippine, against 29 prevailing pathotypes of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) under artificial inoculation field conditions. The inoculation was done at pre-panicle emergence stage through cli...

Bckground: A robust integrated pest management (IPM) program is needed to reduce the use of insecticides in controlling Helicoverpa armigera. Therefore, a two year field study was conducted to evaluate the use of alternative control measures (biochemical use) for H. armigera relative to exclusively use of chemical insecticides. The entomopathogeni...

Five major cauliflower producing localities viz., Faisalabad, Chiniot, Sargodha, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala of Punjab, were selected to check the population fluctuation of S. litura larvae through regular ten days interval on cauliflower crop during 2013-14. The data were recorded at fixed schedule of Period I (22 to 31 August), Period II (01 to 10...

Lepidopteran pest species attacking date palms and fruits are problematic in stored dates or in the date garden. Three such species, the carob moth, lesser date moth, and raisin moth, have biologies that are timed with the seasonal occurrence of date fruit. Thus they have become primary pests for the date producer and have been the focus of scienti...

Dates are a major food crop across a large band of Africa and Eurasia, and to a lesser extent elsewhere. In most of its growing range, dates are threatened with infestation in the fi eld by a complex of pests including nitidulid beetles and pyralid moths of the Subfamily Phycitinae. They are further threatened with loss in processing and storage by...

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, is a monocotyledonous species belonging to the palm family (Arecaceae or Palmae) which is perennial and dioecious and cultivated mostly in the arid regions of the world. Date palm is important to the agrarian economy of several countries, with the ability to withstand severe abiotic stresses prevalent in the world’s...

Lepidopteran pest species attacking date palms and fruits are problematic in stored dates or in the date garden. Three such species, the carob moth, lesser date moth, and raisin moth, have biologies that are timed with the seasonal occurrence of date fruit. Thus they have become primary pests for the date producer and have been the focus of scienti...

A number of entomopathogenic microbial agents infect a wide array of insects and cause epizootics from time to time. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Nuclearpolyhedrosis virus (NPV) are two important potential pathogens of Helicoverpa armigera. Investigations were carried out on integration of B. thuringiensis and Nuclearpolyhedrosis virus to determ...

A laboratory strain of Beauveria bassiana sensu lato (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) were assessed against three field populations of Earias vittella F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the laboratory. Three dose rates of B. bassiana (1.5×106, 1.5×107 and 1.5×108 conidia...

The objective of the present study was to assess the efficacy of an indigenous isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae alone and with diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Rice grains were admixed with three doses of M. anisopliae, i.e., 2.78 x 106, 2.78 x 107 and 2.78 x 108 conidia kg...

Field populations of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner from 15 localities across the Punjab, Pakistan, were assessed by the leaf dip method for resistance against formulated organophosphates, pyrethroids, and newer insecticide groups. Resistance levels in H. armigera have been incrementally increasing for organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides after...

Minerals are the crucial part of plant nutrition and their presence in excess or deficiencies may cause certain maladies in the plants either through disturbing metabolism or plant physiology abnormally by favoring the plant pathogens or discouraging the plant growth. Potassium provides, stress such as frost and disease tolerance ability to potato...