ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS AS A PATHOGEN OF WASPS, VESPULA SPP, IN NEW-ZEALAND

A fungus, identified as Aspergillus flavus (Deuteromycete: Hyphomycete s), was isolated from dead, field-collected Vespula vulgaris larvae (H ymenoptera: Vespidae). After isolation and pure culturing, the fungus was inoculated onto field-collected larvae of V. germanica and V. vulg aris. Disease symptoms developed in some larvae within 24 h, and event ual emergence among treated V. germanica larvae was only 0.8% compared to 52% in the untreated controls, and 1.3% compared to 40.9% for V. v ulgaris. Although the fungus demonstrates the potential of inundative pathogens as control agents of social wasps, the production of human c arcinogenic aflatoxins by most A. flavus strains is expected to restra in consideration of this fungus as a biological control agent.