Cannibalism and Disease

Differential Grasshopper

Grasshoppers are known for voracious appetites and ability to damage crops. Their appetite can extend beyond plant feeding to feeding on dead animials including cannibalism of dead grasshoppers. One downside of cannibalism is the potential spread of infectious disease. Two common fungi that kill grasshoppers are Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium acridum. Is it common for these fungal diseases to spread through cannibalism?

Jaronski* compared cannibalism of…

Source: Living With Insects Blog