Craig I Huntzinger, zinger@biology.usu.edu, Utah State University, Biology, 5310 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT and Rosalind James, rjames@biology.usu.edu, USDA-ARS, Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory, Logan, UT.
Chalkbrood, a bee disease caused by pathogenic fungi of the genus Ascosphaera, is a major problem in the management of commercial bee populations used in alfalfa seed pollination. This disease kills alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) larvae after they ingest pollen that is contaminated with the spores of Ascosphaera. In an effort to screen potential fungicides for chalkbrood control, four fungicides, Benlate®, Rovral®, Captan®, and Orbit™ were incorporated into pollen provisions that were then fed to bee larvae. When provisions were treated with Benlate (0.6mg a.i./µl) or Rovral (0.4mg a.i./µl) the number of bees that survived to cocoon increased by 30.8% and 46.1%, respectively, and the incidence of chalkbrood decreased by 46.1% and 53.3%. When Captan (0.7mg a.i./µl) or Orbit (0.43mg a.i./µl) were incorporated into the provisions, morality rates increased by 70% and 91.5% respectively, probably due to the toxicity of the fungicides. As result of these and other laboratory tests, we have begun testing Rovral in commercial fields.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Megachilidae
Megachile rotundata (alfalfa leafcutting bee)
Species 2: Plectomycetes Ascosphaerales
Ascosphaera aggregataKeywords: Chalkbrood, Toxicity
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