Infection of Blissus antillus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) Eggs by the Entomopathogenic Fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana

• Published in: Biological control 2002-03, Vol.23 (3), p.269-273
• Main Authors: Samuels, R.I, Coracini, D.L.A, Martins dos Santos, C.A, Gava, C.A.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beauveria bassiana; biological control; Blissus antillus; Brachiaria arrecta; chinch bug; entomopathogenic fungus; Metarhizium anisopliae
• ISSN: 1049-9644; 1090-2112
• DOI: 10.1006/bcon.2001.1009

This study determined the pathogenicity and virulence of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to eggs of the chinch bug Blissus antillus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). Eggs were inoculated under laboratory conditions by immersion in concentrations of 1 × 104 and 5 × 106 conidia/ml. Inoculated eggs were kept under controlled conditions. Evaluations were carried out daily for 20 days. M. anisopliae isolates were highly virulent to eggs, even at 1 × 104 conidia/ml. All B. bassiana isolates tested were considered to be of low virulence or avirulent. The most virulent isolate tested was ESALQ 818 (M. anisopliae), which caused 96.7% infection, when eggs were immersed in suspensions of 1 × 104 conidia/ml. Conidial production on infected eggs was observed to be highest for M. anisopliae isolate CG144, with a mean value of 11.6 × 105 conidia/ml/egg. Infection of Blissus eggs oviposited on plant stems was greater when M. anisopliae isolate CG144 was formulated in mineral oil (63.5% mortality) than when formulated in Tween 80 (27.1% mortality).