# Endophytic Colonization of Pepper (_Capsicum annum_) Controls Aphids (_Myzus persicae_ Sulzer)
## 3 Results
### Survival of M. persicae Aphids on Endoplytically Colonized Pepper Plants  
To determine the effect of endophytes on the survival of _M. persicae_, pepper plants were sprayed with 10\({}^{8}\) conidiaia/mL of each fungus. After 24 h, apterous _M. persicae_ aphids were placed on the plant, after they had been starved for one hour. Aphid population was monitored and recorded on a weekly basis. Experiments showed endophytic ability of the three fungi in the pepper plant. Moreover, colonized plants showed strong entomopathogenic activity against young adults of the _M. persicae_ aphid. In terms of the average mortality, there are statistically significant differences between treatments. After 21 days, mortality was at 100% in plants colonized with _B. bassiana_, at 90% in plants colonized with _M. anisopliae_, at 83.3% in plants colonized with _I. fumosorosea_, while the control plants showed 0% (F = 6.475, df = 6.35, \(p<0.001\)) (Figure 3). In terms of the average change in aphid population at the end of the experiment, there were statistically significant differences between treatments; after 21 days, there were \(0.7\pm 1.2\) aphids for endophytic _B. bassiana_, \(6.7\pm 3.2\) aphids for endophytic _M. anisopliae_, and \(6.7\pm 2.1\) aphids for endophytic _I. fumosorosea_, while in the control plants the aphid population was (H\({}_{2}\)O + Tergitol NP 9.05%) 68 \(\pm\) 13.8 aphids (F = 6.475, df = 6.35, \(p<0.001\)) (Figure 4). All plants colonized with endophytic entomopathogenic fungi had a significant effect on the aphid population in planta (F = 26.802, df = 6.35, \(p<0.001\)) and on the survival time of the young apterous adults in planta (Wilcoxon Gehan test: 67.593, df = 3, \(p<0.001\)). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (Breslow (Generalized Wilcoxon)) determined the survival time of aphids on endoplytically colonized plants. The average survival time was 13.18 days with _B. bassiana_, 18.08 days with _M. anisopliae_, 16.80 days with _I. fumosorosea_ and 21.00 days in control plants. The average number of aphids covered by mycelium on the pepper leaf was \(4.3\pm 1.5\) at 7 DAE for _B. bassiana_, \(2.3\pm 1.5\) at 14 DAE for _M. anisopliae_ and \(1.7\pm 0.7\) at 14 DAE for _I. fumosorosea_. The median lethal time (LT\({}_{50}\)) calculated with the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the lethal time of aphids on pepper leaves was 7 DAE with _B. bassiana_, followed by _I. fumosorosea_ at 14 DAE and _M. anisopliae_ at 14 DAE. The highest hazard rate on aphids was 14 DAE in plants colonized with _B. bassiana_ (Table 1). The hazard rate on aphids was 21 DAE in plants colonized with _M. anisopliae_ and _I. fumosorosea_ (Table 1). Finally, the proportion terminating of aphids in plants colonized with _B. bassiana_ was 100% at 7 DAE, and their proportion surviving was 100% at 14 DAE. With _M. anisopliae_, the proportion terminating was 82% at 14 DAE and the proportion surviving was 100% at 21 DAE. Figure 3: Mortality of _M. persicae_ aphids on the leaves of endophytic plants, following exposure to endophytic entomopathogenic fungi after 7, 14 and 21 days. Mean \(\pm\) sd values with the same superscript letter are not different in a significant way. (Bonferroni’s test: \(p<0.05\)). With _I. fumosorosea_, the proportion terminating was 62% at 14 DAE and the proportion surviving was 100% at 21 DAE (Table 1). In control plants, the proportion of surviving apterous adults was 100% for the duration of the experiment (Table 1). The cumulative proportion of insects surviving at the end of the experiment was 0% at 14 DAE with _B. bassiana_; 6% at 21 DAE with _M. anisopliae_; and 12% at 21 DAE with _I. fumosorosea_ (Table 1). In control plants, the cumulative proportion of apterous adults surviving at the end of the experiment was 100% (Table 1). Post-mortem mycelial and conidial growth demonstrated that almost all dead individuals had died due to pathogen virulence. Based on observations of aphid cadavers, the external mycelium appears within 96 h after placing them on damp filter paper.