@article{FENG2026, 
author = {Kai FENG and Liang LIU and Fang TANG and Lei YE and Weng LI and Qi YE and Zhi-Long WANG and Yue-Qiu HE},
title = {Isolation and identification of an Akanthomyces lecanii strain infecting Coptotermes formosanus},
year = {2026},
journal = {Journal of Environmental Entomology},
volume = {48},
number = {4},
pages = {1265-1272},
keywords = {Coptotermes formosanus, Akanthomyces lecanii, virulence, entomopathogenic fungi},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.3969/j.issn.1674-0858.2026.04.26},
doi = {10.3969/j.issn.1674-0858.2026.04.26},
abstract = {AimThis study focused on the isolation and identification of a white mycelium-producing fungus from deceased worker ants of Coptotermes formosanus.MethodsThe fungus was identified by morphological characteristics and ITS-rDNA sequence analysis. The pathogenicity of Akanthomyces lecanii against C. formosanus was assessed using the drip method.ResultsThe results showed that A. lecanii, named NBCC-L5, induced the mortality of C. formosanus on the basis of morphological characteristics and ITS rDNA sequence analysis. This strain demonstrated significant insecticidal efficacy against C. formosanus. After 9 days of treatment with a spore suspension of 1 × 107 spores/mL, the mortality rate reached 95%, with the LT50 calculated at 96.71 h for this concentration.ConclusionA. lecanii is easily culturable, and its insecticidal effectiveness increases with increasing concentration within a certain range, indicating its promising potential for development into a biocontrol formulation specifically targeting the C. formosanus.}
}