Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against Uvarovistia zebra (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) via contact and ingestion

ABSTRACT:The pathogenicity of the fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were assessed in the laboratory against the long-horned grasshopper Uvarovistia zebra (Orthoptera: Tetiigoniidae). This is the first account of these entomopathogenic fungi being used against a species from this family. Two isolates Beauveria bassiana DEBI 001and Metarhizium anisopliae 715C were tested separately against field collected third instar nymphs using a topical spray and via ingestion with lettuce inoculated with conidia. The highest concentrations of 1.5×108 spores/ml for B. bassiana and 2×107 spores/ml for M. anisopliae caused 100% and 53.3% mortality respectively when they were sprayed onto the nymphs. When ingested by insects using lettuce baits inoculated with different conidial concentrations the cumulative mortality caused by B. bassiana at a concentration of 5×106 conidia/ml was 30%, whereas M. anisopliae at the same concentration caused 43% mortality. Both species of fungi caused significant mortality of U. zebra by both contact and ingestion.