Isolation of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Deuteromycotina:: Hyphomycetes) from the Chagas disease vector, Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Argentina

A survey for natural entomopathogenic fungi of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans was conducted in five provinces of Argentina since 2001. Nymphs (1.5%) and adults (3.3%) infected with a strain of the fungus Beauveria bassiana were found at Dean Funes, Cordoba province, Argentina. Field collected insects that died in the laboratory were maintained in moist chambers and incubated at 22 degrees C. Beauveria bassiana from infected insects was cultured on SDAY media. Pathogenicity tests were conducted with a conidial suspension (1 x 10(7) conidia/ml) of this isolate on T infestans adults. A mortality rate of 100% was obtained at 15 days post-infection. This is the first record of natural infection of T infestans by B. bassiana.