I funghi entomopatogeni

Fungal entomopathogens are very interesting as biocontrol agents against important arthropods pests of crops and forests. These fungi infect their hosts mainly by penetrating through the cuticle and as consequence they can infect sucking insects, unlike entomopathogenic virus and bacteria. Most research on fungal entomopathogens only looks on a dozen species of commercially produced fungi, contained in over 170 products, and many scientific papers aim at improving production, storage and distribution techniques. The potential of using entomopathogenic fungi in biocontrol strategies different than inundative biological control was insufficiently explored because of the poor attention paid to ecological aspects. In the recent years accumulating evidence shows that several fungal entomopathogens, among them Beauveria bassiana, can colonize plants endophytically, they can be recovered from plant surface as an epiphyte, and finally they can suppress plant diseases. These interesting observations open new prospects of research and application for these versatile organisms.