In: Sydowia 75, (2023): 269-282; ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia75-2023-0269, Published online on February 7, 2023

Fungal diversity associated with Bemisia tabaci
(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on cucumber and comparative
effectiveness of bioassay methods in identifying the
most virulent entomopathogenic fungi

Abdulnabi Abbdul Ameer Matrood1, Abdelhak Rhouma2.*, Lobna Hajji-Hedfi2 &
Mohammad Imad Khrieba3

1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah, Iraq
2 Regional Centre of Agricultural Research of Sidi Bouzid, CRRA, Gafsa Road Km 6, B.P. 357, 9100, Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia
3 National Center for Biotechnology (NCBT), Researcher Doctor at NCBT, Damascus, Syria
Dr. Abdulnabi Abbdul Ameer Matrood and Dr. Abdelhak Rhouma contributed equally in this work and contributed equally as
first authors of this manuscript.

* e-mail: abdelhak.rhouma@gmail.com

Matrood A.A.A., Rhouma A., Hajji-Hedfi L. & Khrieba M.I. (2023) Fungal diversity associated with Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera:
Aleyrodidae) on cucumber and comparative effectiveness of bioassay methods in identifying the most virulent entomopathogenic
fungi. – Sydowia 75: 269–282.
Bemisia tabaci is a serious pest of cucumber, in Iraq, that reduces the income of farmers by high losses in yield. This study
aimed to identify entomopathogenic fungi from whitefly cadavers and to evaluate their relative frequency and various structural
attributes. The suitability of two bioassay methods and the virulence of two entomopathogenic fungal species were evaluated for
management of B. tabaci under greenhouse condition. Out of the 16 fungal species isolated from the whitefly cadavers, only two
species were confirmed microscopically as known entomopathogenic species: Mucor sp. and Purpureocillium lilacinum with a
relative frequency of 8.65 and 5.82 %, respectively. Results of the principle component analysis indicated that the first two PCs
explained 99.30 %. Three factors had a significant positive correlation with relative frequency of the fungal species which are
species diversity (r= 0.983), Simpson’s concentration of dominance (r= 0.951) and equitability of evenness (r= 0.996). The greatest
mortality effect on B. tabaci nymphs and adults due to P. lilacinum and Mucor sp. was recorded on the 7thday after inoculation,
with an average mortality more than 60 % (with concentration of 106 conidia/ml). P. lilacinum and Mucor sp. were significantly
twice as virulent to nymphs than to adults. However, no significant differences were observed between mortality rates of the two
methods. To control B. tabaci nymphs and adults in the field within IPM strategies, we recommend more trials in order to analyze
the real efficacy of P. lilacinum and Mucor sp. under field conditions.

Keywords: Bemisia tabaci, Bioassay methods, Cucumis sativus, Entomopathogenic fungi, fungal species diversity.