LARVICIDAL ACTIVITY OF Metarhizium anisopliae (METCHNIKOFF) SOROKIN AND Beauveria bassiana (BALSOMO) VILLUMIN AGAINST THE FILARIAL VECTOR Culex tritaeniorhynchus (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE)

摘要

Two bio-pesticides of entomopathogenic fungi viz., Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana were selected and tested for the larvicidal activity against instars (I, II, III and IV) of Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The larvae were cultured in the laboratory and treated with five different concentrations i.e. 5,15,25,35, and 45 ppm of 3.0 x 107 conidia/ml of the B. bassiana and 5,15, 25,35, and 45ppm of 4.7 x 108 conidia/ml of the M. anisopliae. The LC5Q values ofM anisopliae were 43.99 ± 0.22, 42.92± 0.07, 41.46 ± 0.28 and 37.61 ± 2.31 ppm for I, II, III and IV instars respectively. The LC5Q values for B. bassiana were 46.90 ± 0.15, 41.38 ± 0.07, 36.01 ± 0.41 and 34.44 ±1.15 ppm for I, II, III and IV instars of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus respectively. The B. bassiana was found to be more effective against larvae Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. The larvicidal effect of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana against Cx. tritaeniorhynchus make these entomopathogenic fungi as an alternative to synthetic insecticidesin mosquito control programme.