Susceptibility to entomopathogens and modulation of basal immunity in two insect models at different temperatures

In this work, we analysed the efficacy of different commercial bio-insecticides (Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema carpocapsae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Bacillus thuringiensis) by valuating the mortality induced on two insect models, Galleries mellonella (Lepidoptera) and Sarcophaga africa (Diptera) after exposure to different temperatures (10, 20 and 30 degrees C). Moreover, we investigated the effects of temperature on the basal humoral immunity of the two target insects; particularly, phenoloxidase (PO) and lysozyme activity. Our results show that G. mellonella is susceptible to all bio-insecticides at all the examined temperatures, except when infected at 10 degrees C with S. carpocapsae and at 30 degrees C with S. feltiae and B. thuringiensis. S. africa is more susceptible at 30 degrees C to all bioinsecticides; whereas, when infected at 10 and 20 degrees C, H. bacteriophora is the most efficient. Temperature modulates PO activity of both G. mellonella and S. africa, otherwise variations in lysozyme activity is observed only in G. mellonella. Except for a possible correlation between the increased lysozyme activity and the delayed Bt efficacy recorded on G. mellonella at 30 degrees C, a different resistance to bio-insecticides at different temperatures does not seem to be associated to variations of the host basal immunity, probably due to immunoevasive and immunodepressive strategies of these entomopathogens.