02760naa a2200337 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400670007410000170014124501100015826000090026852016960027765000300197365000270200365000320203065000300206265000180209265000180211065000220212865000350215065300300218565300250221570000200224070000200226070000200228070000160230070000170231670000200233377300690235321564812023-12-20       2023    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a0022-20117 ahttps://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2023.1079552DOI1 aLOPES, R. B.  aAkanthomyces diversity in Brazil and their pathogenicity to plant-sucking insects.h[electronic resource]  c2023  aAbstract: Currently, species within the genus Akanthomyces are poorly studied and explored compared to other hypocrealean entomopathogenic fungi employed as commercial biocontrol agents. This study aimed to molecularly identify 23 Brazilian Akanthomyces strains, most originally isolated from aphids and scales (n = 22), and one from the coffee leaf rust, and further investigate their pathogenicity to six plant-sucking insects as a means to better understand their host spectra. We also explored the capacity of A. muscarius CG935 for blastospore production via liquid fermentation. Akanthomyces dipterigenus, A. muscarius, A. lecanii, and two unidentified species were recognized as naturally occurring in Brazil. Akanthomyces dipterigenus CG829 and A. muscarius CG935 were highly virulent to nymphs of Bemisia tabaci (67.5?85.4% confirmed mortality) and the aphid Aphis fabae (74.6?75.3%), but only the first strain was virulent to the mealybug Planococcus sp. (80.9%). Akanthomyces lecanii CG824 was weakly virulent to all tested insects. None of the strains were pathogenic to the thrips Caliothrips phaseoli, and all strains showed low virulence to the wooly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus and the scale Duplachionaspis divergens. Submerged liquid fermentation yields varied from 1.72 × 109 (day 2) to 3.90 × 109 (day 5) blastospores mL?1. Blastospores or aerial conidia from A. muscarius CG935, at a single concentration of 1 × 107 viable propagules mL?1, resulted in 67.5?83.1% mortality of B. tabaci nymphs within 8 days post-treatment. Overall, these results encourage additional studies that could lead to the development of new mycopesticides based on Akanthomyces strains.  aBiological control agents  aEntomopathogenic fungi  aHost-pathogen relationships  aLiquid state fermentation  apathogenicity  aFermentação  aFungo Entomógeno  aFungo Para Controle Biológico  aHost-pathogen interaction  aMultilocus phylogeny1 aSOUZA, T. A. D.1 aMASCARIN, G. M.1 aSOUZA, D. A. de1 aBETTIOL, W.1 aSOUZA, H. R.1 aFARIA, M. R. de  tJournal of Invertebrate Pathologygv. 200, article 107955, 2023.