关键词: 冰核真菌, 赤拟谷盗, 抗寒力, 过冷却点

Abstract: The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum is freeze-intolerant.They survives winter by lowering their supercooling point (SCP). It is well known that ice-nucleating active (INA) bacteria can significantly elevate SCP of certain species of insects, thereby freeze occurs at higher temperature. Our experiments proved that ice-nucleating active fungus, Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, also significantly elevated SCP of the red flour beetle. In the control group, SCP of the adults averaged -14.9℃. The insects sprayed with INA fungus at a concentration of 10 g/L, had a mean SCP of -4.8℃. The SCP remained high in last 7 days after treatment with concentration of 0.1 g/L.The results suggested that the INA fungus could be used as a freeze-inducing insecticide for controlling the freeze-intolerant insect pests in winter.

Key words: Ice nucleating active fungus, Tribolium castaneum, supercooling point, cold hardiness