I am a biologist originally from the UK (BSc Southampton, MSc Bristol, PhD Imperial), having worked at EMBRAPA and the Universities of Amsterdam, Gloucestershire and now Viçosa. I have worked on arthropod-pathogenic fungi for classical and inundative biological control programmes (cassava green mite and locusts) and more recently on fungi associated with leafcutter ants. I have interests in insect defences against pathogens (whether physiological or behavioural), and also ecological interactions involving insects, plants and microorganisms plus ecosystem services provided by entomopathogens.

The fungal order Hypocreales as a toolbox for biological control

The fungal order Hypocreales harbours insect pathogens, mutualistic endophytes and mycoparasites, among others, and its evolutionary history is characterized by shifts in life style along branches. Thus, fungi associated with insects may also interact in interesting ways with plants or with other fungi. An insect pathogen such as Metarhizium may be as much an endophyte as it is an insect pathogen, or a mycoparasite such as Trichoderma may also be endophytic and have the potential to protect plants against insects. I will briefly introduce this group of fungi and highlight some possible ways in which they may be harnassed to protect crops from insect herbivores.