Efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungi; Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

Abstract

The efficacy of the two entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae (TR 106) and Beauveria bassiana (TR 217), was tested against the adults of the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) in laboratory. Two concentrations of conidial suspensions (1 × 10 6 and 1 × 10 8 conidia/ml) of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana isolates were directly applied on four pairs of adult beetles in Petri dishes (2 ml/dish) and then incubated at two different climatic regimes; 22±1°C and 26 ± 1°C with 70 ± 5% RH, 16:8 h light-to-dark. Lethal time values (LT 50 and LT 90 ) were calculated using probit analysis. As a result, the LT 50 and LT 90 values of M. anisopliae (1 × 10 8 conidia/ml) were 4.45 and 5.34 days at 26°C and 5.17 and 6.15 days at 22°C, respectively. LT 50 and LT 90 values of B. bassiana (1 × 10 8 conidia/ml) were 4.07 and 5.11 days at 26°C and 4.07 and 5.41 days at 22°C, respectively. LT 50 and LT 90 values of M. anisopliae (1 × 10 6 conidia/ml) were 5.42 and 6.43 days at 26°C and 6.08 and 7.54 days at 22°C, respectively. The LT 50 and LT 90 values of B. bassiana (1 × 10 6 conidia/ml) were 5.67 and 7.15 days at 26°C and 5.47 and 7.50 days at 22°C, respectively. Approximately 100% of mycoses were obtained in all treatments. In general, the effectiveness of these two entomopathogens increased by increasing suspension concentrations and temperature. These results suggest that the two isolates may be very successful in biological control of the C. maculatus and may be alternatives for chemical pest management.

Biocontrol of invasive pheretimoid earthworms using Beauveria bassiana

“…LT 90 values in this experiment were about twice as long as reported by Butt et al (1994) . In comparison with other studies on insect mortality with B. bassiana (e.g., Bugeme et al, 2008 ; Ozdemir et al, 2020 ), LT 90 was also much longer for pheretimoids. Some experiments are reported in the literatures that evaluated the effect of pesticides on earthworm’s mortality, albeit on different species than those in this study.…”

Efficacy of Clonostachys rosea, as a promising entomopathogenic fungus, against coleopteran stored product insect pests under laboratory conditions

“…(Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), Lecanicillium spp. Gams and Zare (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and Isaria fumosorosea Wize (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) have been well reported as a promising biocontrol agent of stored insect pests including T. granarium (Mohammed et al 2019) T. castaneum (Rehman et al 2020) and C. maculatus (Ozdemir et al 2020).…”

Germination and Agronomic Traits of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Beans Sprayed with Trichoderma Strains and Attacked by Acanthoscelides obtectus

“…Other genera of entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium spp., Beauveria spp., Isaria spp., have also been shown to be highly effective for the control of other pests of seeds or stored products by applying these fungi on their hosts. For example, Metarhizium anisopliae (TR 106 strain) and Beauveria bassiana (TR 217 strain), against the adults of the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) in laboratory obtained a very successful biological control of this insect pest in laboratory through the two isolated described [61]. B. bassiana (GHA strain) proved to have a high inhibition capacity in A. obtectus eggs [15].…”