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Ectropis grisescens is a notorious pest in tea plantations. The control of E. grisescens relies on synesthetic pesticides but the resurgence is always accompanied by increasing resistance. Therefore, it is crucial to use biological control to reduce the damage caused by E. grisescens. Here, we collected soil from a tea plantation, used Galleria mellonella as a bait insect and successfully isolated one entomopathogenic fungus. The isolated colony was initially identified as Cordyceps sp. using morphological observation. ITS‐rDNA sequence amplification and sequencing, molecular database comparisons, and phylogenetic analysis proved this fungus as a new species and thus named Cordyceps sp. WZFW1. Further virulence test of Cordyceps sp. WZFW1 against E. grisescens was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Lethal concentration was 5.74 × 106 spore/mL with a confidence level of 2.32 × 106 ~ 1.79 × 107 and lethal time was 2.98 days at 108 spore/mL and 7.47 days at 107 spore/mL, indicating Cordyceps sp. WZFW1 was effective at controlling E. grisescens. Our findings are significant as they contribute to the application of new entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) species as biocontrol agents, promoting eco‐friendly pest management practices. Research Highlights: A novel species, Cordyceps sp. WZFW1, was isolated from soil in a tea plantation in China. Cordyceps sp. WZFW1 caused up to 79% mortality to second‐instar Ectropis grisescens larvae after 7‐day treatment, indicating its potential in E. grisescens control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector control is considered an effective approach to controlling diseases spread by mosquito bites. Entomopathogenic fungi are widely used in agriculture to control insect pests, and fungal metabolites can potentially be developed as effective mosquitocides. In this study, a high-throughput screening method was used to search for potential mosquitocides in the Global Fungal Extract Library (GFEL). We tested the larvicidal activity of 264 fungal ethyl acetate crude extracts against Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus. Nine fungal extracts caused moderate to high mortality rates (>50%), with two fungal extracts (58A7 and 101H12) causing a 100% mortality rate. The lethal concentrations for 50% of the population (LC50) were 44.27 mg/L and 31.90 mg/L, respectively. Fraction 14 had a high mortality rate, with an LC50 value of 12.13 mg/L, and was isolated from 58A7 (Fractions 1–11) and 101H12 (Fractions 12–15). Further analyses showed that Fraction 14 was made up of vermistatin and dihydrovermistatin. In a Cx. p. quinquefasciatus larvicidal bioassay, vermistatin (LC50 = 28.13 mg/L) was more toxic than dihydrovermistatin (LC50 = 83.87 mg/L). Our findings suggested that the active fungal extract 101H12 from Talaromyces sp. and its compound vermistatin could be developed as mosquitocides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea, Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze, is the most popular non‐alcohol beverage and has over a thousand years of cultivation history. Sustainable tea cultivation is hampered by insect and mite pests and heavily relies on conventional pesticides. However, such management strategies can cause environmental pollution and insect resistance. Well‐planted tea ecosystem naturally provides a suitable micro‐climatic condition for the prosperity of natural enemies, especially entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) that are susceptible to moisture, temperature and sunlight. Hence, EPF have been widely used in tea plantations for pest management. Here, we summarized the approaches of research pertaining to EPF diversity in ecosystems. We also describe the general infection process and discuss the environmental factors that impact EPF efficiency. Finally, we listed the successful cases of EPF in tea pest management. Overall, this review has provided the application status and biological potential of EPF, which will contribute to agricultural productivity, and ecological, economic and social sustainability in the tea ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]