Susceptibility of the locust Schistocerca cancellata (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Nosema locustae (Protozoa: Microspora) in the laboratory.

The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility of Schistocerca cancellata (Serville) to the pathogen Nosema locustae Canning, with the purpose of evaluating alternative control strategies of this pest. Third-instar nymphs of the gregarious phase of cultured S. cancellata were individually, “per os” challenged with 105 and 106 spores/nymph of N. locustae, a microbial agent for grasshopper control. Infection development occurred in 90.2 % of the nymphs inoculated (n = 112) and there was no difference in the percentage of infection between doses. There was a direct effect of dosage of N. locustae on mortality of S. cancellata, at 20 and 30 days postinoculation. Both doses had significantly higher percentages of mortality than that of the control. The higher dose caused distinctly greater mortality than the lower, with cumulative mortality at the end of the experiment being of 86% and 50%, respectively. None of the infected locusts reached adulthood. If these results are corroborated under natural conditions, N. locustae could be of value for the biological control of S. cancellata.

Key words: Nosema locustae, Schistocerca cancellata, biological control, locust, microsporidum.