There is a need for the development of sustainable, nonchemical tick management strategies. Mycoacaricide and mycoinsecticide product development worldwide has focused primarily on fungi in the genera Beauveria (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae). Microbial biopesticides containing entomopathogenic fungi have potential in tick management. However, despite considerable progress in the development of fungal biopesticides over the past 20 years, the establishment of commercial products available for use against ticks continues to be slow. We reviewed published scientific literature and compiled a comprehensive list of reports of the effectiveness of commercial biopesticides based on the fungal genera Metarhizium and Beauveria and registered for use in the USA against ixodid ticks under laboratory and field conditions. We also report on results when these biopesticides were used as a part of integrated tick management. Until efficacious fungus-based products become more available, tick management will rely primarily on synthetic chemical acaricides, with natural-product acaricides as the alternative.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (BMSB) is an exotic invasive insect originating in East Asia, currently causing significant damage to fruits, vegetables and other crops throughout most of the Mid-Atlantic states of the U.S. It also is a nuisance pest, entering homes in the fall in search of suitable overwintering sites. Two formulations of BotaniGard^® with a strain of Beauveria bassiana (GHA) as the active ingredient were tested against second instar BMSB. Both the wettable powder and the emulsifiable suspension formulations were efficacious at 1 × 10⁷ conidia mL⁻¹, causing 67%–80% mortality 9 days post treatment and 95%–100% after 12 days. The wettable powder formulation was slightly more efficacious.

Mycopathogens of economically important exotic invasive insects in forests of northeastern USA have been the subject of research at the Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, for the last 20 years. Elongate hemlock scale, European fruit lecanium, hemlock woolly adelgid and pear thrips were analyzed for the presence of mycopathogens, in order to consider the potential for managing these pests with biological control. Fungal cultures isolated from insects with signs of fungal infection were identified based on morphological characters and DNA profiling. Mycopathogens recovered from infected insects were subdivided into three groups, i.e., specialized entomopathogenic; facultative entomopathogens; ubiquitous opportunistic contaminants. Epizootics were caused by fungi in the specialized group with the exception of M. microspora, P. marquandii and I. farinosa. Inoculation of insects in laboratory and field conditions with B. bassiana, L. muscarium and Myriangium sp. caused insect mortality of 45 to 95%. Although pest populations in the field seemed severely compromised after treatment, the remnant populations re-established themselves after the winter. Although capable of inducing high mortality, a single localized aerial application of a soil-dwelling fungus does not maintain long-time suppression of pests. However, it can halt their range expansion and maintain populations below the economic threshold level without the use of expensive insecticides which have a negative impact on the environment.

To enhance food security, food safety, and environmental health, a bio-based integrated pest management (BIPM) strategy was evaluated at two coastal locations in Lebanon as an alternative to toxic pesticide sprays in commercial high-arched plastic tunnels common in many countries. The evaluation occurred during two cucumber and pepper cropping seasons: spring and fall. At each site, two commercial tunnels were used; farmers’ conventional practices were applied in one tunnel, while the BIPM approach was followed in the second tunnel. In the farmers’ practices, a total of 14 sprays of insecticide/acaricide mixtures were applied during the spring growing season, and 6 sprays were applied during the fall. In the BIPM tunnels, hotspot releases of local strains of Amblyseius swirskii and Phytoseiulus persimilis were applied. By the end of the spring season, the number of whitefly nymphs (WFNs)/leaf and thrips/leaf in the pesticide treatment were 4.8 and 0.06, respectively, compared to 0.1 and 0.33, respectively, in the BIPM treatment. Similarly, at the end of the fall season, the WFNs reached 19.7/leaf in the pesticide control as compared to 1.2/leaf in the BIPM treatment, proving the efficacy of A. swirskii. Farmers using conventional acaricides during both cropping seasons failed to control Tetranychus urticae, the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM). However, hotspot releases of P. persimilis were successful in controlling TSSM. By the end of June, the number of TSSMs reached 7.8/leaf in the BIPM treatment compared to 53/leaf in the pesticide treatment. Likewise, in December, TSSM numbers reached 9/leaf in the BIPM treatment compared to 40/leaf in the pesticide treatment. Preliminary observations of pepper showed that both predatory mites (A. swirskii and P. persimilis) gave similar or better efficacy against the three pests. The two local predatory phytoseiid mites seem to be effective in controlling these three major pests and to be adapted to local environmental conditions. A rate of increase of 0.86 was observed for P. persimilis and 0.22 for A. swirskii, in June, when maximum temperatures were close to 40 °C. This also shows a compatibility between the two predators. In conclusion, our BIPM approach was efficient under a Mediterranean climate in arched plastic tunnels with relatively poor aeration.