B. Zelazny et al., THE POTENTIAL OF BACTERIA FOR THE MICROBIAL CONTROL OF GRASSHOPPERS AND LOCUSTS, Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, (171), 1997, pp. 147-156
Bacteria have been implicated in disease epizootics observed in field
populations and laboratory-reared locusts and grasshoppers. Two specie
s [Serratia marcescens Bizio and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Mi
gula] consistently infect locusts when ingested with food and can spre
ad in laboratory populations. However, research on developing these or
ganisms for microbial control of locusts and grasshoppers begun in the
1950s has not been continued. In recent years strains of Bacillus thu
ringiensis Berliner have been studied for activity against locusts and
grasshoppers. Results of additional trials by the authors are reporte
d. Among 393 B. thuringiensis isolates and 93 preparations of other sp
oreforming bacteria fed to nymphs of Locusta migratoria (L.) and/or Sc
histocerca gregaria Forsk., none has shown any pathogenicity to the in
sects. The recent discovery of novel B. thuringiensis strains active a
gainst Various diverse pests and the many properties of a sporeforming
bacterium that satisfy the requirements for a microbial control agent
, and the development of Serratia entomophila as a promising agent for
control of grass grubs, provide incentive to continue the search for
an orthopteran-active sporeforming bacterium and to re-investigate the
potential of non-sporeforming bacterial pathogens as microbial contro
l agents of grasshoppers and locusts.