Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Beneficial insects and other arthropods are of great ecological importance because they provide a form of natural pest control, a dynamic process that is responsible for the regulation of pest arthropod populations in nature. Microsporidia (spore-forming protozoan pathogens) infect a wide range of beneficial arthropods, including predaceous lady beetles that are often used for aphid control in agroecosystems. Microsporidia are known to cause chronic, debilitating disease that reduces host fitness; therefore, these pathogens may adversely affect the viability of beneficial arthropods in agroecosystems and in nature. The discovery of microsporidia in lady beetles used for biological pest control raises concerns regarding the use of some beetles for aphid control in agriculture. It also provides an opportunity to examine these pathogens in more detail, particularly host-pathogen specificity and the effects that these pathogens have on non-target lady beetles and other predatory arthropods. It also presents an opportunity to examine the factors that promote protozoan disease outbreaks (epizootics) among arthropod populations. Information gained during this study will help contribute toward our current understanding of protozoan disease epizootics and the role that chronic disease plays in the regulation of arthropod populations. The examination of chronic disease in beneficial arthropods used for biological pest control also benefits the agriculture and horticulture industries by helping to ensure that beneficial arthropods remain a viable alternative to chemical pest control.