Topic:Biological Control
Biological control in the context of equine management refers to the use of natural predators, parasites, or pathogens to manage and reduce populations of pests that affect horses. This approach is part of integrated pest management strategies aimed at minimizing the reliance on chemical pesticides. Common biological control agents include beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps and predatory beetles, as well as entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria that target specific pest species. These agents help in controlling populations of flies, ticks, and other parasites that can affect the health and welfare of horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the application, effectiveness, and ecological impact of biological control methods in equine environments.
A review of the use of Duddingtonia flagrans as a biological controller of strongylid nematodes in horses. In horses, the nematodes of the Strongylidae family are the most important due to their prevalence and pathogenicity. Sanitary plans include parasite control based on chemical anthelmintics. Among these, the benzimidazole compounds have been used since the 1960s to control the nematode Strongylus vulgaris. Its inappropriate use resulted in the development of resistance in parasites with a shorter biological cycle, such as the small strongyles. Currently, the genera that make up this group show widespread resistance to all chemical treatments available in veterinary medicine, except for macrocy...
Mesostigmata diversity by manure type: a reference study and new datasets from southwestern Iran. Manure-inhabiting Mesostigmata mites are important biological control agents of pest flies. However, the biodiversity of this mite community is mainly known from Europe and America, and especially from cattle manure. This study examined the diversity and abundance of Mesostigmata mites associated with various types of manure in an (intensive) agricultural region of the Middle East, i.e., the city Ahvaz and its suburbs, in southwest Iran. Mite samples were extracted from manure of cattle, buffalo, sheep, horse, poultry and quail in 30 livestock and poultry farms. In total, 40 species belonging ...
Biological methods for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a cause of significant losses in animal production worldwide. In recent years, there have been important advances in the biological control of GIN of ruminants and horses. While these measures are still relatively under-utilised in practice, interest will undoubtedly grow due to the emergence of drug resistant parasite populations, the rise in demand for organically farmed products (which does not allow prophylactic use of drugs, including anthelmintics) and legislation, which regulates and restricts the use of anthelmintics. This review provides an overvie...
Comparison of the Olfactory Preferences of Four of Filth Fly Pupal Parasitoid Species (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) for Hosts in Equine and Bovine Manure. House flies (Musca domestica L.) and stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)) (Diptera: Muscidae) are common pests in equine and cattle facilities. Pupal parasitoids, primarily in the genera Spalangia and Muscidifurax (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), can be purchased for biological control of these flies. However, little is known about the host-habitat preferences associated with host-seeking by these parasitoids. The preferences of two Spalangia and two Muscidifurax species to odors associated with house fly hosts in equine and bovine manure were investigated in the laboratory using a Y-tube olfac...
Duddingtonia flagrans in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of horses. Horses can harbor a large amount of parasites that may cause serious clinical signs even death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against infective larvae (L3) of gastrointestinal nematodes of horses in fecal culture. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treated groups (G1, G2 and G3) and one control (CG), using eight animals/group. The treated animals received G1: 1.5 × 10(5); G2: 3 × 10(5) and G3: 6 × 10(5) chlamydospores of D. flagrans/kg body weight during 21 days. The fungi preparation was give...
Livestock as a potential biological control agent for an invasive wetland plant. Invasive species threaten biodiversity and incur costs exceeding billions of US$. Eradication efforts, however, are nearly always unsuccessful. Throughout much of North America, land managers have used expensive, and ultimately ineffective, techniques to combat invasive Phragmites australis in marshes. Here, we reveal that Phragmites may potentially be controlled by employing an affordable measure from its native European range: livestock grazing. Experimental field tests demonstrate that rotational goat grazing (where goats have no choice but to graze Phragmites) can reduce Phragmites cover f...
Predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in equine strongyle infective larvae on natural pasture in the Southern Region of Brazil. Biological control is an alternative method to reduce the population of parasites through natural predators. A promising option of biological control in the reduction of infective larvae on pasture is the use of nematophagous fungi. In this study, the efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in controlling gastrointestinal nematode parasites in field-raised horses was tested. Ten foals with an average age of 12 months were divided in two groups: five males constituted the treated group and five females constituted the control group. Each group was introduced in a field of mix...
Biological control of cyathostomin (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) with nematophagous fungus Monacrosporium thaumasium in tropical southeastern Brazil. Horses are hosts to a wide variety of helminthes; the most important are the cyathostomin, or small strongyles. The viability of a fungal formulation (pellets) using the nematode-trapping fungus Monacrosporium thaumasium was assessed in biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control) consisted of six mares in each group, crossbred (ages of 2.5 and 3.5 years), were placed in pastures of Cynodon sp. naturally infected with horse cyathostomin larvae. In the treated group, each animal received 1g/10 kg body weight (0.2g/10 kg live weight of fungus) of pellets of s...
In vitro predatory activity of nematophagous fungi and after passing through gastrointestinal tract of equine on infective larvae of Strongyloides westeri. Three isolates of predator fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001), Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34), and Arthrobotrys robusta (I-31) were assessed in in vitro test regarding the capacity of prey infective larvae (L(3)) Strongyloides westeri. Compared to control, without fungus, there was a significant decrease (P 0.01) in vitro test. Linear regression coefficients of treated and control groups were -0.21 for control, -0.32 for D. flagrans, -0.34 for M. thaumasium, and -0.22 for A. robusta. In the following, isolates AC001 and NF34 were assessed in vivo regarding the capacity of supporting the pa...
Viability of the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of horses. The predatory capacity of the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia (isolate VC4) embedded in sodium alginate pellets after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of horses was assessed in vitro against Oxyuris equi eggs. Twelve previously dewormed crossbred mares, average weight of 362.5kg (+/-21) were used in the experiment. Each animal of the treated group received an oral dose (100g) of sodium alginate pellets containing P. chlamydosporia mycelial mass. The control group received pellets without fungus. Faecal samples from fungus-treated and control groups were collected at inte...
Biological control of horse cyathostomin (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) using the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in tropical southeastern Brazil. The viability of a fungal formulation using the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed for the biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control without fungus treatment), consisting of eight crossbred mares (3-18 years of age) were fed on Cynodon sp. pasture naturally infected with equine cyathostome larvae. Each animal of the treated group received oral doses of sodium alginate mycelial pellets (1g/(10 kg live weight week)), during 6 months. Significant reduction (p<0.01) in the number of eggs per gram of feces and coprocultures was foun...
Prospects for controlling animal parasitic nematodes by predacious micro fungi. Resistance against anthelmintics is widespread, particularly in parasitic nematode populations of small ruminants. Several new techniques or supplements have been developed or are under investigation. Biological control (BC) is one of these new methods. The net-trapping predacious fungus Duddingtonia flagrans produces thick walled resting spores, chlamydospores, which are able to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of cattle, horses, sheep and pigs. Under Danish climatic conditions it has been shown that the number of parasite larvae on pasture and the worm burden of the grazing...
A new isolate of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans a biological control agent against free-living larvae of horse strongyles. An experiment was carried out in 1997 to test the efficacy of an isolate of the microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans against free-living stages of horse strongyles under conditions in the field and to assess the eventual effect of the fungus on the normal degradation of faeces. Faecal pats were made from faeces of a naturally strongyle infected horse, which had been fed fungal material at a dose level of 106 fungal unit/kg bwt. Control pats without fungi were made from faeces collected from the same animal just before being fed fungi. Faecal cultures set up for both groups of faeces to monitor th...