Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1966

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Entomology-Zoology

Abstract

E.W. Hamilton (1964) reported a serious disease of Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howaedi Barb. , at the Northern Grain Insect Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota. The disease causing organism was isolated and tentatively identified as a Pseudomonas sp. Several antibiotics were tried in an attempt to rid the colony of this organism but these antibiotics had little effect. In the laboratory, larvae died at about the time they matured. If the infected larvae pupated, the pupae died or a deformed adult would emerge. In addition, females so deformed did not lay eggs. As a result of the disease, the rootworm colony rapidly declined until no adults were available for egg laying. Hamilton also reported that the organism may have been a secondary invader to a granuloisi virus which may have been egg borne. Preliminary laboratory tests completed by Hamilton, indicated that this Pseudomonas sp. had some potential as a microbial control agent for Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera LeConte, and Southern Corn Rootworm, D. undecimpunctata howardi Barb. The laboratory observations by Hamilton provided the basis for further investigation into the insect pathogenicity of the isolated Pseudomonas sp. The objectives of this study were: (1) To identify and characterize the bacterium isolated form the Southern Corn Rootworm colony; (2) To determine the disease producing potential of this bacterium to rootworms, Diabrotica sp.; (3) To evaluate its potential as a biological control agent for rootworms, Diabrotica sp. (see more in text)

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Spotted cucumber beetle
Psuedomonas aeruginosa

Format

application/pdf

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Download

Share

COinS