Mycoattractants and mycopesticides

• US 7,122,176 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mycosys LLC, Turtle Bear Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Mycosys LLC
• Inventors: Stamets, Paul Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Neil S.
• Application Number:
  US09/969,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20020146394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 424405-410, 424/413, 424/417, 424/418, 424/93.5, 424/195.15, 424/488, 424/84, 424/274.1, 435/178, 435/180, 435/243, 435/254.1, 435/256.2, 435/256.6, 435/179, 435/252
• US Class Current: 424/84
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/30 Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/32 Yeast

Abstract

The present invention utilizes the pre-sporulation (preconidial) mycelial stage of entomopathogenic fungi as insect attractants and/or pathogens. The fungus can be cultivated on grain, wood, agricultural wastes or other cellulosic material, attracting the insect and optionally introducing insect-specific pathogenic fungi. More than one fungus and substrate can be used in combination. The matrix of preconidial fungi can optionally be dried, freeze-dried, cooled and/or pelletized and packaged and reactivated for use as an effective insect attractant and/or biopesticide. Attractant extracts of the preconidial entomopathogenic mycelium are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated on a bait block with insect entryways wherein the entryways are selected from the group consisting of channels, tunnels, grooves, ridges, holes, perforations and combinations thereof and the entryways are sized to allow entry by an insect selected from the group consisting of a targeted insect larva, a targeted insect pupae, a targeted insect adult and combinations thereof.

2. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formosan termites, reticulated termites, carpenter ants and fire ants.

3. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formicidae ants including Camponotus carpenter ants, Calomyrmex, Opisthopsis and Polyrhachis ants, pharaoh ants, Argentine ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants and Atta and Acromyrmex leaf cutter ants, Isoptera termites including Coptotermes, Reticulitermes, Cryptotermes, Ahamitermes, Allodontermes, Amitermes, Anacanthotermes, Amitermitinae, Archotermopsis, Armitermes, Calcaritermes, Capritermes, Comitermes, Cubitermes, Drepanotermes, Globitermes, Glyptotermes, Heterotermes, Hodotermes, Hodotermopsis, Incisitermes, Kalotermes, Labiotermes, Macrotermes, Macrotermitinae, Marginitermes, Mastotermes, Microcerotermes, Micro hodotermes, Nasutitermes, Nasutitermitinae, Neotermes, Odontotermes, Ophiotermes, Parastylotermes, Paraneotermes, Parrhinotermes, Pericapritermes, Porotermes, Prorhinotermes, Psammotermes, Rhinotermes, Rhynchotermes, Rugitermes, Schedorhinotermes, Serritermes, Syntermes, Stolotermes, Termitogeton, Termes, Termitinac, Termopsis and Zootermopsis, Sphecoidea and Vespoidea wasps and Apoidea bees.

4. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the social insect is selected from the group of insects consisting of Camponotus modoc, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus femigineus, Camponotus floridanus, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus herculeanus, Camponotus varigatus, Camponotus abdominalis and Camponotus noveboracensis, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri, Monomorium pharonis, Coptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, Reticulitermes virginicus, Reticulitermes speratus, Reticulitermes hesperus, Reticulitermes tibialis, Reticulitermes lucifugus, Reticulitermes santonensis, Cryptotermes domesticus, C. cubioceps, Kalotermes flavicollis, Incisitermes minor and Mastotermes darwiniensis.

5. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least five days after overgrowth of the solid substrate.

6. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least ten days after overgrowth of the solid substrate.

7. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least three days after exposure to air.

8. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least seven days after exposure to air.

9. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least 10 days after exposure to air.

10. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated on wood.

11. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is selected for mycelial attractiveness to both a targeted pest insect and an insect predator of the targeted pest insect and virulence only to the targeted pest insect.

12. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formosan termites, reticulated termites, carpenter ants and fire ants.

13. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of termites, ants, wasps and bees.

14. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formicidae ants including Camponotus carpenter ants, Calomyrmex, Opisthopsis and Polyrhachis ants, pharaoh ants, Argentine ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants and Atta and Acromyrmex leaf cutter ants, Isoptera termites including Coptotermes, Reticulitermes, Cryptotermes, Ahamitermes, Allodontermes, Amiterines, Anacanthotermes, Amitermitinae, Archotermopsis, Armitermes, Calcaritermes, Capritermes, Comitermes, Cubitermes, Drepanotermes, Globitermes, Glyptotermes, Heterotermes, Hodotermes, Hodotermopsis, Incisitermes, Kalotermes, Labiotermes, Macrotermes, Macrotermitinae, Marginitermes, Mastotermes, Microcerotermes, Microhodotermes, Nasutitermes, Nasutitermitinae, Neotermes, Odontotermes, Ophiotermes, Parastylotermes, Paraneotermes, Parrhinotermes, Pericapritermes, Porotermes, Prorhinotermes, Psammotermes, Rhinotermes, Rhynchotermes, Rugitermes, Schedorhinotermes, Serritermes, Syntermes, Stolotermes, Termitogeton, Termes, Termitinae, Termopsis and Zootermopsis, Sphecoidea and Vespoidea wasps and Apoidea bees.

15. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauverial, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2.000 parts per million or more and wherein the social insect is selected from the group of insects consisting of Camponotus modoc, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus ferrugineus, Camponotus floridanus, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus herculeanus, Camponotus varigatus, Camponotus abdominalis and Camponotus noveboracensis, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri, Monomorium pharonis, Coptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, Reticulitermes virginicus, Reticulitermes speratus, Reticulitermes hesperus, Reticulitermes tibialis, Reticulitermes lucifugus, Reticulitermes santonensis, Cryptotermes domesticus, C. cubioceps, Kalotermes flavicollis, Incisitermes minor and Mastotermes darwimensts.

16. A method of attracting sodial insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least three days after exposure to air.

17. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least seven days after exposure to air.

18. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least 10 days after exposure to air.

19. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2,000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least five days after overgrowth of the solid substrate.

20. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, wherein the elevated carbon dioxide conditions are 2.000 parts per million or more and wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium comprises a strain that does not sporulate for at least ten days after overgrowth of the solid substrate.

21. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is metabolically arrested.

22. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is metabolically arrested via a method selected from the group consisting of drying, freezedrying, refrigerating, gaseous cooling, light deprivation, cryogenic suspension and combinations thereof.

23. The method of attracting social insects of claim 22 wherein the metabolically arrested entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is metabolically reactivated via a method selected from the group consisting of humidification, immersion in water, warming, exposure to light and combinations thereof.

24. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated on wood.

25. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated on a bait block with insect entryways wherein the entryways are selected from the group consisting of channels, tunnels, grooves, ridges, holes, perforations and combinations thereof and the entryways are sized to allow entry by an insect selected from the group consisting of a targeted insect larva, a targeted insect pupae, a targeted insect adult and combinations thereof.

26. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is cultivated on the solid substrate based on a characteristic selected from the group consisting of attractiveness to a targeted insect, mandible size of a targeted insect, size of a targeted insect, pupae and larvae size of a targeted insect and combinations thereof.

27. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the solid substrate is selected from the group consisting of grains, seeds, wood, paper products, cardboard, sawdust, corn cobs, cornstalks, chip board, hemp, jute, flax, sisal, reeds, grasses, bamboo, papyrus, coconut fibers, nut casings, seed hulls, straws, sugar cane bagasse, soybean roughage, coffee wastes, tea wastes, cactus wastes, banana fronds, palm leaves, fiberized rag stock and combinations thereof.

28. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the solid substrate is selected from the group consisting of cardboard, paper, wood, straw, fabrics, landscaping cloths, geofabrics, soil blankets and rugs, mats, mattings, bags, baskets, gabions, fiber logs, fiber bricks, fiber ropes, nettings, felts, tatamis and combinations thereof.

29. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 further comprising the step of pelletizing the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium overgrown on the solid substrate.

30. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 further comprising the step of preparing the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium for spray in a form selected from the group consisting of wettable powders, emulsifiable concentrates, water-dispersible granules, aqueous solutions, emulsions including oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, dispersions, suspoemulsions, microemulsions, microcapsules and combinations thereof.

31. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium additionally comprises a material selected from the group consisting of baits, foods, fungal attractants, nonfungal attractants, protectants, nutrients, growth enhancers, wetting agents, surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, sticking agents, humectants, penetrants, fillers, carriers, antibiotics, arrestants, feeding stimulants, sex pheromones, aggregating pheromones, trail pheromones, encapsulating materials, yeast, bacteria and combinations thereof.

32. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium is derived from a genetically modified fungal species.

33. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the social insect is a pest insect.

34. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formosan termites, reticulated termites, carpenter ants and fire ants.

35. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of termites, ants, wasps and bees.

36. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the social insect is selected from the group consisting of Formicidae ants including Camponotus carpenter ants, Calomyrmex, Opisthopsis and Polyrhachis ants, pharaoh ants, Argentine ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants andAtta and Acromyrmex leaf cutter ants, Isoptera termites including Coptotermes, Reticulitermes, Cryptotermes, Ahamitermes, Allodontermes, Amitermes, Anacanthotermes, Amitermitinae, Archotermopsis, Armitermes, Calcaritermes, Capritermes, Cornitermes, Cubitermes, Drepanotermes, Globitermes, Glyptotermes, Heterotermes, Hodotermes, Hodotermopsis, Incisitermes, Kalotermes, Labiotermes, Macrotermes, Macrotermitinac, Marginitermes, Mastotermes, Microcerotermes, Microhodotermes, Nasutitermes, Nasutitermitinac, Neotermes, Odontotermes, Ophiotermes, Parastylotermes, Paraneotermes, Parrhinotermes, Pericapritermes, Porotermes, Prorhinotermes, Psammotermes, Rhinotermes, Rhynchotermes, Rugitermes, Schedorhinotermes, Serritermes, Syntermes, Stolotermes, Termitogeton, Termes, Termitinae, Termopsis and Zootermopsis, Sphecoidea and Vespoidea wasps and Apoidea bees.

37. The method of attracting social insects of claim 20 wherein the social insect is selected from the group of insects consisting of Camponotus modoc, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus femigineus, Camponotus floridanus, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus herculeanus, Camponotus varigatus, Camponotus abdominalis and Camponotus noveboracensis, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri, Monomorium pharonis, Coptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, Reticulitermes virginicus, Reticulitermes speratus, Reticulitermes hesperus, Reticulitermes tibialis, Reticulitermes luctfugus, Reticulitermes santonensis, Cryptotermes domesticus, C. cubioceps, Kalotermes flavicollis, Incisitermes minor and Mastotermes darwiniensis.

38. A method of attracting social insects comprising providing an insect attracting amount of an entomopathogenic preconidial mycelium selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium and Beauveria, cultivated on a solid substrate and not including any conidia bearing imperfect stages, to a targeted social insect locus wherein the preconidial mycelium is provided in an amount sufficient to act as both an insect attractant and an insect pathogen.