Abstract
ABSTRACT. Camargo M.G., Sá F.A., Kluck G.E.G., Coutinho-Rodrigues C.J.B., Perinotto W.M.S., Angelo I.C., Gôlo P.S., Quinelato S., Albuquerque J.M.L. & Bittencourt V.R.E.P. [Interaction among Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Metarhizium anisopliae and Rhipicephalus microplus under laboratory conditions]. Interação entre Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Metarhizium anisopliae e Rhipicephalus microplus em condições de laboratório. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 34(Supl. 1):60-65, 2012. Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, Km 7, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brasil. E-mail: vaniabit@ufrrj.br Rhipicephalus microplus is the one of the most important cattle ectoparasites causing great concerns for the Brazilian breeders. As an alternative to the chemical acaricides, biological control has been increasingly studied. The present study aimed to evaluate a possible interaction among Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Metarhizium R. microplus ticks, by testing if a possible S. brevicaulis maternal transmission would contribute for a better comprehension about the fungal infection physiopathology. R. microplus females were previously immersed in different concentrated suspensions of S. brevicaulis and the posterior virulence levels of Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.) were analyzed on larvae from eggs of these S. brevicaulis-treated females. S. brevicaulis virulence against larvae and eggs were also evaluated; although there were no significant alterations in the hatching percentage as well as in the larval mortality (89.8% ± 1.6 and 1% ± 0.1 respectively). Results on virulence of the entomopathogenic fungus showed a reduced mortality of larvae from eggs of ticks’ females previously treated with S. brevicaulis when larvae were immersed in M. anisopliae s.l. 105 conidia ml-1. Therefore, S. brevicaulis was not pathogenic for R. microplus, although this fungus was able to reduce the mortality of larvae treated with low concentrations of M. anisopliae s.l.