Identification and characteristics of insect pathogen Serratia marcescens isolated from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe) in Korea

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe) had been focused on a protein alternate food and oriental and functional medicine with pharmacological effect historically, in Korea. According to efficiency of the larvae of P. b. seulensis about anti-oxidant, anti-hepatic disorder, and anti-diabetic effect, P. b. seulensis were reared increasingly in Korea. We verified and evaluated the reared larvae of P. b. seulensis from Gyeong-gi were infected with Spo-1 and identified this bacteria is Serratia marcescens using 16SrRNA PCR, electro-microscope and verified through Insect Bioassay. We confirmed that concentration of Spo-1, 1x10⁴/50μl, represented significant effect of 99.9% mortality on the third stage of the P. b. seuluensis after bacteria intracoleomic injection, within 72hours. Furthermore, Spo-1 is compared toxicity to P. b. seulensis with other Serratia marcescens strain, KACC11892 and KACC11893 by Insect Bioassay. From this study, it is very important and necessary for the sanitary rearing condition and effective methods of prevention against insect disease and optimal environment for healthy insect, because contaminated rearing condition might be injurious to the insect as alternate food material.