Editing Biological pest control (section)

=== Fungi ===
[[File:Pandora neoaphidis.jpg|thumb|right|[[Green peach aphid]], a pest in its own right and a vector of plant viruses, killed by the fungus ''[[Pandora neoaphidis]]'' ([[Zygomycota]]: [[Entomophthorales]]) Scale bar = 0.3 mm.]]

[[Entomopathogenic fungi]], which cause disease in insects, include at least 14 species that attack [[aphid]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Hall, I.M. |author2=Dunn, P.H.  |title=Entomophthorous Fungi Parasitic on the Spotted Alfalfa Aphid |journal=Hilgardia |date=1957 |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=159–181 |doi=10.3733/hilg.v27n04p159|doi-access=free }}</ref> ''[[Beauveria bassiana]]'' is mass-produced and used to manage a wide variety of insect pests including [[whiteflies]], [[thrips]], aphids and [[weevils]].<ref name=McNeil>{{cite web|last1=McNeil |first1=Jim |title=Fungi for the biological control of insect pests |url=http://articles.extension.org/pages/18928/fungi-for-the-biological-control-of-insect-pests |publisher=eXtension.org |access-date=6 June 2016 |date=2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526163616/http://articles.extension.org/pages/18928/fungi-for-the-biological-control-of-insect-pests |archive-date=26 May 2016 }}</ref> ''[[Lecanicillium]]'' spp. are deployed against white flies, thrips and aphids. ''[[Metarhizium]]'' spp. are used against pests including beetles, [[locusts]] and other grasshoppers, [[Hemiptera]], and [[spider mite]]s. ''[[Paecilomyces fumosoroseus]]'' is effective against white flies, thrips and aphids; ''[[Purpureocillium]] lilacinus'' is used against [[root-knot nematodes]], and 89 ''[[Trichoderma]]'' [[List of Trichoderma species|species]] against certain plant pathogens.<ref group="M" name="Trichoderma">p.{{nbs}}93</ref> ''[[Trichoderma viride]]'' has been used against [[Dutch elm disease]], and has shown some effect in suppressing [[Chondrostereum purpureum|silver leaf]], a disease of stone fruits caused by the pathogenic fungus ''[[Chondrostereum purpureum]]''.<ref name=Fry>{{cite book |author=Fry, William E.|title=Principles of Plant Disease Management |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1kxOTitCAgC&pg=PA187 |year=2012 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-08-091830-3 |page=187}}</ref>

Pathogenic fungi may be controlled by other fungi, or bacteria or yeasts, such as: ''[[Gliocladium]]'' spp., [[mycoparasite|mycoparasitic]] ''[[Pythium]]'' spp., [[binucleate]] types of ''[[Rhizoctonia]]'' spp., and ''[[Laetisaria]]'' spp.

The fungi ''[[Cordyceps]]'' and ''[[Metacordyceps]]'' are deployed against a wide spectrum of arthropods.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Santhosh, Kumar T. |author2=Aparna, N. S. |title=Cordyceps Species as a Bio-Control Agent against Coconut Root Grub, Leucopholis coneophora Burm |journal=Journal of Environmental Research and Development |volume=8 |issue=3A |date=2014 |pages=614–618 |url=https://www.jerad.org/ppapers/dnload.php?vl=8&is=3A&st=614 |access-date=2017-03-20 |archive-date=2018-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004085356/https://www.jerad.org/ppapers/dnload.php?vl=8&is=3A&st=614 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Entomophaga (fungus)|Entomophaga]]'' is effective against pests such as the [[Myzus persicae|green peach aphid]].<ref name=Capinera>{{cite web|url=http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/aphid/green_peach_aphid.htm |title=Featured creatures: Peach Aphid |last=Capinera |first=John L. |date=October 2005 |website=University of Florida – Department of Entomology and Nematology |publisher=University of Florida |access-date=7 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526234842/http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/aphid/green_peach_aphid.htm |archive-date=26 May 2016 }}</ref>

Several members of [[Chytridiomycota]] and [[Blastocladiomycota]] have been explored as agents of biological control.<ref name=Li>{{cite journal | last1=Li | first1=Z. | last2=Dong | first2=Q. | last3=Albright | first3=T.P. | last4=Guo | first4=Q. | year=2011 | title=Natural and human dimensions of a quasi-natural wild species: the case of kudzu | journal=Biological Invasions | volume=13 | issue=10 | pages=2167–2179 | doi=10.1007/s10530-011-0042-7| s2cid=14948770 }}</ref><ref name=Frog>{{cite journal | last1 = Beard | first1 = Karen H. | last2 = O'Neill | first2 = Eric M. | year = 2005 | title = Infection of an invasive frog ''Eleutherodactylus coqui'' by the chytrid fungus ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' in Hawaii | doi = 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.07.004 | journal = Biological Conservation | volume = 126 | issue = 4| pages = 591–595 | bibcode = 2005BCons.126..591B | url = https://works.bepress.com/karenh_beard/106/download/ }}</ref><!--<ref name=Sparrow1960>{{cite book |author=Sparrow, F.K. |date=1960 |title=Aquatic Phycomyetes |publisher=University of Michigan Press |edition=2nd }}</ref>--> From Chytridiomycota, ''[[Synchytrium|Synchytrium solstitiale]]'' is being considered as a control agent of the [[Centaurea solstitialis|yellow star thistle]] (''Centaurea solstitialis'') in the United States.<ref name=Gleason>{{cite book |author1=Voigt K. |author2=Marano, A. V. |author3=Gleason, F. H.  |date=2013 |title=Ecological & Economical Importance of Parasitic Zoosporic True Fungi |work=The Mycota: A Comprehensive Treatise on Fungi as Experimental Systems for Basic & Applied Research Vol. 11 Agricultural Applications |edition=2nd |editor=K. Esser & F. Kempken |publisher=Springer |pages=243–270}}</ref>

====Viruses====
[[Baculoviridae|Baculoviruses]] are specific to individual insect host species and have been shown to be useful in [[Viral biological control|viral biological pest control]]. For example, the [[Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus]] has been used to spray large areas of forest in North America where larvae of the [[Lymantria dispar dispar|spongy moth]] are causing serious defoliation. The moth larvae are killed by the virus they have eaten and die, the disintegrating cadavers leaving virus particles on the foliage to infect other larvae.<ref>{{cite web |author=D'Amico, Vince |url=https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/baculoviruses.php |title=Biological control: Baculoviruses |publisher=Cornell University  |access-date=15 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601063135/http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/baculoviruses.php |archive-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>

A mammalian virus, the [[rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus]] was introduced to Australia to attempt to control the [[European rabbit]] populations there.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Abrantes |first1=Joana |last2=van der Loo |first2=Wessel |last3=Le Pendu |first3=Jacques |last4=Esteves |first4=Pedro J. |title=Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV): a review |journal=Veterinary Research |date=2012 |volume=43 |issue=12 |pages=12 |doi=10.1186/1297-9716-43-12 |pmid=22325049 |pmc=3331820 |doi-access=free }}</ref> It escaped from quarantine and spread across the country, killing large numbers of rabbits. Very young animals survived, passing immunity to their offspring in due course and eventually producing a virus-resistant population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/RCDFactsheet.aspx |format=pdf |title=Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) |last=Strive |first=Tanja |publisher=[[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]] |date=16 July 2008 |access-date=8 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415081441/http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/RCDFactsheet.aspx |archive-date=April 15, 2014 }}</ref> Introduction into New Zealand in the 1990s was similarly successful at first, but a decade later, immunity had developed and populations had returned to pre-RHD levels.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plan for 1080 drops in MacKenzie Basin |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2441711/Mackenzie-1080-drop-plan |last=Williams |first=David |date=26 May 2009 |newspaper=The Press |access-date=8 April 2017}}</ref>
{{further|Rabbits in Australia}}

RNA [[mycovirus]]es are controls of various fungal pathogens.<ref group="M" name="intro-examples-agents" />

==== Oomycota ====
''[[Lagenidium]] [[Lagenidium giganteum|giganteum]]'' is a water-borne mold that parasitizes the larval stage of mosquitoes. When applied to water, the motile spores avoid unsuitable host species and search out suitable mosquito larval hosts. This mold has the advantages of a dormant phase, resistant to desiccation, with slow-release characteristics over several years. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to many chemicals used in mosquito abatement programmes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/lagenidium.php |title=Biological control: ''Lagenidium giganteum'' |author=Kerwin, James L. |publisher=Cornell University |access-date=15 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620032211/http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/lagenidium.php}}</ref>