Activity of Oyster Mushrooms, Genus Pleurotus (Agaricomycetes), on Lucilia cuprina (Diptera)

Abstract

<i>Lucilia cuprina</i> is a vector of important diseases in humans and animals that causes myiasis in sheep, leading to enormous damage to the sheep sector. Chemical products are used to control these flies; however, there are reports of resistance in addition to these products causing toxicity to the environment, humans, and animals, so alternative controls have been studied to reduce these impacts. <i>Pleurotus</i> spp. are basidiomycete fungi and present bioactive compounds with medicinal properties. Due to the potential use of fungi to control Diptera, this study aimed to verify the activity of <i>Pleurotus florida, P. ostreatus</i>, and <i>P. djamor</i> in the control of larvae and adults of <i>L. cuprina</i>, as well as the effects of aqueous extracts of the fungi <i>P. ostreatus, P. djamor</i>, and <i>P. florida</i> on larvae and adults of <i>L. cuprina</i>. The aqueous extract from <i>P. florida</i> was the only one that showed larvicidal activity against <i>L. cuprina</i>, with a half-maximal effective concentration of 11.42 mg/mL. In the test with adult stages, 30 insects were used for each solution concentration, sprinkled with 1 mL of the solution. All aqueous extracts showed adulticidal activity at all concentrations, <i>P. ostreatus</i> showing the best results, with adult mortality ranging from 75.86 to 100&#37;. Our results demonstrated an important larvicidal effect of <i>P. florida</i> and an adulticidal effect of all AE, with emphasis on <i>P. ostreatus</i>.