IDENTIFICACIÓN DE HONGOS ENTOMOPATÓGENOS PARA EL CONTROL BIOLÓGICO DE Diaphorina citri EN ÁRBOLES DE CÍTRICOS

<p><strong>Background</strong>. Entomopathogenic fungi represent a sustainable alternative to reduce populations of the asian citrus psyllid <em>Diaphorina citri</em>, which acts as the vector of the pathogen <em>Candidatus</em> <em>Liberibacter </em><em>asiaticus</em>, responsible for Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus fruits. <strong>Objective</strong>. To identify morpho-taxonomic and molecular endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in persian lime, for use in the biological control of <em>D. citri</em> Veracruz<em>. </em><strong>Methodology</strong>. The study was carried out in a persian lime <em>Citrus latifolia</em> crop in the Martínez de la Torre district, Veracruz, sampling was directed at trees that had myconized <em>D</em>. <em>citri</em> adults, on branches with tender shoots and mature leaflets. The fungi were isolated, purified and identified morphologically and morphometrically, and corroborated by molecular biology, through DNA amplification and sequencing of the ITS intergenic region. Under greenhouse conditions, the strains were inoculated by the method of flooding conidia in the basal part of stems and root system of Persian lime plants. In each treatment, 100 nymphs of the second stage of <em>D</em>. <em>citri</em> were released to evaluate the percentage of myconization and its endophytic establishment of fungal strains. <strong>Results</strong>. The taxonomic morphology of the reproductive structures of the identified fungal species and compared with the sequences reported in the Gen Bank, gave high identity with the endophytic entomopathogenic fungi <em>Acrodontium crateriforme,</em> <em>Hirsutella citriformis,</em> <em>Isaria fumosorosea,</em> <em>Metharizium anisopliae,</em> <em>Trichoderma harzanium,</em> for the strain <em>A. crateriforme</em> is first time that it was found miconizing <em>D.citri</em> naturally. <strong>Implications</strong>. These findings indicate new areas of study related to endophytic entomopathogenic fungi as biological control agents, which can influence the regulation of asian psyllid populations, to reduce the incidence of the spread of HLB in citrus growing areas. <strong>Conclusions. </strong>The strains <em>A. crateriforme</em> were identified with a mortality percentage of 90%, <em>M. anisopliae</em> with 85%, <em>H. citriformis</em> with 68%, <em>I. fumosorosea</em> 65% and <em>T. harzianum</em> with 50%, they had an endophytic entomopathogenic behavior, and it was shown that the five strains colonized persian lime trees by the method of direct flooding of conidia at the base of the stem and roots, mummifying adults of the citrus psyllid under greenhouse conditions.</p>