DEVELOPMENT OF METARHIZIUM SPP. FOR THE CONTROL OF GRASSHOPPERS AND LOCUSTS

Abstract

Memoirs of the Entonological Society of Canada l7l: 265-286 (1991) Four research programmes are investigating the entomopathogenic fungal genera Metat hiziunt and Beauveria for locust and grasshopper control in Africa. ln the LUBILOSA programme, surveys for pathogen isolates revealed a morphologically distinctive Metarhizium t'lavoviride Gams and Rozsypal attacking acridoids in West Africa, Madagascar, and elsewhere. Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin isolates with virulence to acridoids were also obtained, including several from non-orthopteran hosts. Natural epizootics ofboth genera are rare in acridoid populations, but do occur. A standardized screening method discriminated virulent from non-vitulent isolates. The great majority of the most virulent isolates were from the acridoid group of M . JIat,oviride. A Niger isolate chosen for development from this group had 1ow virulence to honey bees and parasitic Hymenoptera and was not infective to insects in several otler orders. Field tests were carried out on fo^rmulations of oil mixtures, using ULV application rates of l-2Llha and2-5 x l0'' conidia per hectare. In preliminary tests, target insects were sprayed successfully in small field arenas and in large cages. Trials

Laboratory Trials of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green Muscle®) Against the Saxaul Locust, Dericorys albidula Serville (Orthoptera: Dericorythidae)

“…Because saxaul plants are not used for food, using petroleum products can be a suitable method of control. In the current study, mortality was recorded after 15 d. Similar to our results Lomer et al (1997) …”

Effect of <I>Beauveria bassiana</I> and <I>Metarhizium anisopliae</I> (Deuteromycetes) upon the Coffee Berry Borer (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Under Field Conditions

“…The spores produced for oil formulation must be lipophilic, this means that they should be produced using surface liquid media, on solid substrates or a combination of these methodologies that are called diphasic liquid-solid fermentation (Jenkins and Goettel 1997;Lomer et al 1997). The spores that are produced on the media after it has dried can be harvested as a dry powder.…”

Crowded locusts produce hatchlings vulnerable to fungal attack

“…Locust hatchlings (on the day of eclosion) were challenged by immersion into known concentrations of viable conidia of the acridid-specific fungal pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (a species used effectively as a locust biocontrol agent in the field; Lomer et al 1997). To avoid any potentially confounding effects of hatchling culture conditions, solitarious and gregarious eggs were removed from their respective cultures and group-hatched in identical circumstances.…”