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Entomopathogenic fungi infecting non-pest insects: Implications for ecosystem services and relevance of behavioural ecology

Meyling, Nicolai V. and Eilenberg, Jørgen (2008) Entomopathogenic fungi infecting non-pest insects: Implications for ecosystem services and relevance of behavioural ecology. Speech at: "Role of disease in regulation of non-pest host populations". Symposium at the 41th Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, University of Warwick, UK, 4-7 August 2008.

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Summary

Entomopathogenic fungi infect a wide array of insects from most orders and they are among the natural enemies that contribute to the regulation of insect populations. However, only a limited number of studies have focused on the impact of fungal pathogens on populations of non-pest insects. Effects of entomopathogenic fungi on non-pest host populations should receive more attention based on the increasing interest in conservation biological control. In this strategy, founded on competition theory, non-pest host populations adjacent to cropping systems will in principle affect pest populations through shared natural enemies. We present examples of selected non-pest host-fungus systems from temperate ecosystems that are relevant for the expected ecosystem service provided by entomopathogenic fungi. Predators are among the non-pest hosts that are infected by fungi. Recent advances in our understanding of the effect of pathogens on the behaviour of predators may shed light on the significance of entomopathogenic fungi for the regulation of predator populations. We discuss what we can learn about host-pathogen interactions from behavioural ecology and which life history parameters in the host that may be important for the impacts of fungal pathogens on their host populations.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Speech
Keywords:Apparent competition; conservation biological control; density and trait mediated effects
Subjects: Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Research affiliation: Denmark > KU - University of Copenhagen > KU-LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences
Denmark > DARCOF III (2005-2010) > VEGQURE - Organic cropping Systems for Vegetable production
Deposited By: Meyling, Nicolai V.
ID Code:14152
Deposited On:07 Sep 2008
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:37
Document Language:English
Refereed:Not peer-reviewed

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