Abstract

OJEDA-CHI, Melina Maribel et al. Control of Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) using the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae): Review. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.2, pp.177-192. ISSN 2448-6698.

Infestations with cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus constitute the most important ectoparasite problem in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe, resulting in major economic losses in the production of beef, milk, and leathers, in addition of increasing the cost of control programs transmitting Babesia bovis, B. bigemina and Anaplasma marginale. The control of R. microplus is mostly based on the use of ixodicides. Nevertheless, the irrational use of such products has resulted in tick populations exhibiting resistance to all major ixodicide drug classes. This has urged the development of non-chemical control alternatives, including the use of entomopathogenic fungi, among which Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) has shown to be efficient both in vitro and in vivo for the control of the different evolution stages of R. microplus. The use of these fungi results in decreased oviposition, increased incubation/hatch times, and death of tick larval and adult stages, with efficiency rates of up to 100 %. Several studies show that M. anisopliae is a sustainable non-chemical alternative for the control of ticks. The purpose of this paper is to present an updated review on the use of different M. anisopliae strains for the control of R. microplus.

Keywords : Metarhizium anisopliae; Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; Biological control; Fungi.

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