Bacterium Curbs Several Insect Pests

摘要

bacterium discovered by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists a that is toxic to Colorado potato beetle also has been found to be toxic in varying degrees to gypsy moth, small hive beetle and tobacco hornworm. Microbiologist Phyllis Martin, molecular biologist Dawn Gundersen-Rindal, and entomologist Michael Blackburn at the ARS Insect Biocontrol Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., and chemist Jeffrey Buyer at the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville found and described the newbacterial species, Chromobacterium suttsuga, now called Chromobacterium subtsugae sp. nov. The group then found that the bacterium displayed toxicity to Colorado potato beetle.