ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Fungal Biol.
Sec. Fungi-Animal Interactions
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/ffunb.2025.1660692
Extreme UV sensitivity of native Metarhizium spp. as potential biocontrol agent for False codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick) on chili pepper in Ghana
Provisionally accepted
Patricia A. S Nyahe1Vincent Y. Eziah1
Laith Khalil Tawfeeq Al-Ani2
Monica Akumyounta1Candice A. Coombes3
Drauzio Eduardo Naretto Rangel4Alene Alder-Rangel5Dalia Sukmawati6
Owusu F Aidoo7
Mavis Agyeiwaa Acheampong1,8*- 1Department of Crop Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, Ghana
- 2School of Biological Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- 3Rhodes University Centre for Biological Control, Makhanda, South Africa
- 4Inbioter – Institute of Biotechnology Rangel, Itatiba, Brazil
- 5Alder’s English Services, São José dos Campos, Brazil
- 6Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Rawamangun, Indonesia
- 7CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana
- 8University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Chili pepper exports from Ghana are subject to stringent chemical residue regulations in key export destinations. Consequently, microbial biopesticides are urgently needed to complement current nonchemical control options for key pests of chili pepper, particularly the phytosanitary insect, False Codling Moth (FCM). Thus, the search for native entomopathogenic fungi in Ghanaian farms was initiated in 2023. Seven Metarhizium isolates (UGSUHCI, UGJKCS9, UGJKCS10, UGAFMF8, UGAFM F12, UGNAKC1 and UGKAP1), obtained from agricultural soils in Ghana, showed high virulence against the soil-dwelling stages of FCM under laboratory conditions. To facilitate the selection of these virulent isolates for development into a mycoinsecticide for FCM, the UV sensitivity and virulence following UV exposure were investigated for all seven isolates in this study. All isolates exhibited extreme susceptibility to UV radiation in comparison to similar research. Exposure to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation at 0.6 W/m 2 for 30 min reduced relative conidial germination by 28-40% 48 h following exposure, while 60 min exposure killed all isolates. High insect mortalities were recorded for four isolates, regardless of UV radiation. The findings suggest that an effective UV-protectant formulation could be required for success in the field against fruit and foliar pests of chili pepper, including those of FCM.
Keywords: Chili pepper, entomopathogenic fungi, False codling moth, Metarhizium spp., simulated solar radiation, UV tolerance, Virulence
Received: 06 Jul 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Nyahe, Eziah, Al-Ani, Akumyounta, Coombes, Naretto Rangel, Alder-Rangel, Sukmawati, Aidoo and Acheampong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mavis Agyeiwaa Acheampong, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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