1. The document provides definitions and terminology related to biopesticides and biofertilizers from the USEPA and European Union. 2. Key terminology in insect pathology includes entomopathogen, insect pathology, infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence, and more. 3. Robert Koch's postulates for establishing the causal agent of a disease involving microorganisms are described. 4. Diagnosis in insect pathology involves distinguishing one disease from another by studying etiology, symptomatology, pathogenesis and more.

1. WELCOME

2. ELEC 230 (2+1):BIOPESTICIDES AND
BIO FERTILIZERS
Course In-Charge
Mr.S.Srinivasnaik
Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology
Lecture No.2: Introduction, Definitions,
Terminology, Importance, Scope and Potential of
Biopesticides

3. FATHER OF INSECT PATHOLOGY

4. DEFINITIONS
1.USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agents
Biopesticides may be defined as naturally occurring
substances that control pests (Biochemical pesticides),
Microorganisms that control the pests(Microbial pests) and
Pesticidal substances produced by plants containing added
genetic material (Plant Incorporated protectants)
2. European Union
Biopesticides have been defined as form of pesticide based on
microorganisms/natural products

5. TERMINOLOGY IN INSECT PATHOLOGY
•Entomopathogen/ Insect pathogen
Entomopathogens are infectious agents, microorganisms that
invade and reproduce in an insect and spread to infect other
insects. Eg: Fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes and nematodes etc.
•Insect pathology
Insect pathology is the study of anything that goes wrong [i.e.,
disease (“lack of ease”)] with an insect.
•Infectivity
Ability of microorganism to enter the body of a susceptible insect
and produce an infection
•Pathogenicity
The quality or state or being pathogenic, the potential or ability to
produce disease

6. TERMINOLOGY IN INSECT PATHOLOGY
•Virulence
The disease producing power of an organism, the degree of
pathogenisity within a group or species
•Dosage
A minimal number of infective propagules is needed to pass
through the portal of entry for infection to occur in an insect
•Sign
Physical or structural abnormality in an insect as a result of
infection. Eg: abnormalities in the morphology or structure such as
colour, malformed appendages or body segments, fragility of the
integument, etc.

7. TERMINOLOGY IN INSECT PATHOLOGY
•Symptom
Functional and behavioural abnormality in an insect as a result of
infection. Eg: Abnormal movement, abnormal response to stimuli,
digestive disturbances (vomiting or diarrhoea), inability to mate,
etc.
•Syndrome
It refers to a system complex or a particular combination or
sequence of signs and symptoms (Group of characteristic signs
and symptoms)
•Course of infection
It is the time from when the entomopathogen infects/enters the
host until its death
•Incubation period
It is the time from when the entomopathogen infects/enters the
host until the development of signs and/or symptoms

8. TERMINOLOGY IN INSECT PATHOLOGY
•Acute infection
Acute infections are of short duration and usually result in the
death of the host (i.e., the period of lethal infection is short).
•Chronic infection: Chronic infections are of long duration and
the hosts may or may not die
•Latent infection
Latent infections in insects have been detected primarily with
viruses. In such cases, the term latent or occult viral infection is
used, and the virus is referred to as an occult virus and not as a
latent virus
Epizootiology
It deals with epizootic and enzootic levels of animal disease.
Epizootic is defined as an outbreak of disease in which there is an
unusually large number of cases, whereas an enzootic refers to a
low level of disease that is constantly present in a population

9. ROBERT KOCH PASTULATES
One of the basic tenets in pathology for establishing the etiological
or causal agent of a disease involving microorganisms is the
application of Koch’s postulates. Robert Koch (1843-1910), a
German physician who is considered one of the founders of
microbiology, made brilliant discoveries on the causal agents of
anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera through the application of
postulates that bear his name

10. ROBERT KOCH PASTULATES
1.The suspected pathogen must be found associated with the
disease in all the diseased insects examined.
2. The organism must be isolated from the diseased insect and
grown in pure culture on nutrient media and its characteristics
described (non-obligate parasites) or in a susceptible host
(obligate parasites), and its appearance and effects recorded.

11. ROBERT KOCH PASTULATES
3.When a healthy insect, of the same species or variety, is
inoculated with this culture, it must produce the disease and show
the characteristic symptoms.
4.The organism must be re-isolated from the inoculated insect and
must be shown to be the same pathogen as the original. If all the
above steps have been followed and proved true, then the
isolated pathogen is identified as the organism responsible for the
disease

12. DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis is a fundamental branch of insect pathology which
involves the process by which one disease is distinguished from
another. The identification of the etiological or causal agent alone
is not diagnosis, but only one of a series of steps in the operation
to determine the cause of the disease. To conduct a proper
diagnosis, a study has to be made of the etiology,
symptomatology, pathogenesis, pathologies, and epizootiology of
the disease. The importance of diagnosis in insect pathology lies
in the fact that one must know the nature of the disease and what
ails or has killed an insect before the disease can be properly
studied, controlled, or suppressed, used as a microbial control
measure, its potential for natural spread determined, or its role in
the ecological life of an insect species ascertained.