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Native Entomopathogenic Fungi Against Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in Serrano Chili (Capsicum annuum L.)
by
, , , and
Magali Jiménez-Jiménez
1,*
,
Héctor Cabrera-Mireles
2,*,
Alejandra Soto-Estrada
1,
Lorena Jacqueline Gómez-Godínez
3,
Felipe Gallardo-López
1 and
Jorge Jiménez-Zilli
4 1
Colegio de Posgraduados Campus Veracruz, Manlio Fabio Altamirano 91690, Veracruz, México
2
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias-Campo Experimental Cotaxtla, Medellín de Bravo 94276, Veracruz, México
3
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias-Centro Nacional de Recursos Genéticos, Tepatitlán de Morelos 47600, Jalisco, México
4
Laboratorio de Biotecnología Andreb, Huatusco 94100, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2026, 17(7), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17070680
Submission received: 5 April 2026
/
Revised: 19 June 2026
/
Accepted: 25 June 2026
/
Published: 30 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Pest Management in Agricultural Systems)
Simple Summary
The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a major pest of chili crops, and its management primarily relies on chemical insecticides. However, the continuous use of these chemicals has led to resistance issues and decreased effectiveness. In response to this challenge, the present study evaluated local entomopathogenic fungi as a safer, more sustainable alternative for controlling this pest, as they are already adapted to local environmental conditions. Fungi were collected from whiteflies found on chili plants, then isolated and identified. Their effectiveness was subsequently tested under laboratory conditions. The results indicated that four fungal strains had a high efficacy, causing mortality rates in whiteflies within two to five days. This suggests that native entomopathogenic fungi have the potential to serve as biological control agents for whiteflies. Utilizing these fungi could help reduce reliance on chemical insecticides, ultimately contributing to the sustainable management of chili crops.
Abstract
The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a significant pest of chili crops, and the continuous use of insecticides to control it has led to insecticide resistance. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate the pathogenicity and virulence of native entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) strains from the Sotavento region against whiteflies in the laboratory. Fungi were isolated from whiteflies collected from chili plants in different habitats and identified through morphological and molecular characterization. The pathogenicity of nine EPF strains was assessed at 1 × 109 spores mL−1, while the virulence of the most pathogenic strains was evaluated from 1 × 104 to 1 × 109 spores mL−1. The lethal concentration (LC50) and lethal time (LT50) were also determined. Two native genera of EPF were identified: Beauveria and Cordyceps. The strains JV01 and PV02 (Cordyceps javanica), SV01 (Cordyceps fumosorosea), and MV03 (Beauveria bassiana) demonstrated high pathogenicity, causing mortality rates ranging from 94% to 100% at a concentration of 1 × 106 spores mL−1, five days after application. The strains JV01 and SV01 showed LC50 values of 1.65 × 105 and 5.53 × 105 spores mL−1, respectively, with an LT50 of 2 days for both. In conclusion, highly pathogenic and virulent native EPF strains were identified against adult whiteflies on serrano chili.
Keywords:
mycosis; culture medium; inoculation; whiteflies rearing; pest; chili seedlings
