Scientific-technological analysis and biological aspects of entomopathogenic fungus Aschersonia

Entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the genus Aschersonia Sordariomycetes: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae] is known for its high virulence against Aleyrodidae and Coccoidea. Its first use as a biological control agent date back to 1921 in Florida, when it was reported to be active against citrus whiteflies. Despite its recognized effectiveness, after a century no formulations based on Aschersonia are available for use as a biopesticide. The main aim of this study was to analyze the available patents and scientific articles involving this genus to understand the current scenario with respect to the scientific and technological development. To accomplish this objective, scientific and patent databases were surveyed, firstly using the terms ‘Entomopathogenic fungi, ‘Aschersonia’, ‘Beauveria’ and ‘Metarhizium’ to understand the overall scenario of scientific and technological production for entomopathogenic fungi. This was followed by a more detailed analysis for the genus Aschersonia. Our study demonstrates that there is little advancement with respect to research and technological development with this fungus. A total of 83 articles and 110 patents were found with the term “Aschersonia” in titles or abstracts. After the exclusion of articles and patents in duplicates, and without Aschersonia as the focus, 18 articles and 21 patents remained. Most of the scientific and technological production obtained described the production of enzymes and mycotoxins, focusing on other biotechnological applications rather than its use as an insecticidal agent. We elucidate possible difficulties for the use of this fungus as a biological control agent and provide a future perspective on its use in biotechnological products.