Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (2000) 33, 171-180

Sunday Ekesi, Abubakar D. Akpa, Isa Onu and Michael O. Ogunlana (2000)
Entomopathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection 33 (2), 171-180
Abstract: The pathogenicity of four isolates each of the entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok. to apterous adult Aphis craccivora Koch was evaluated in the laboratory at 4 concentrations of conidia. All fungi isolates tested were found to be pathogenic to the insect but their virulence varied among species and isolates within species. Three isolates, B. bassiana CPD 11 and M. anisopliae CPD 4 and 5 caused significantly higher mortality than the other isolates at the various concentrations tested causing mortality of between 58-91%, 64 to 93% and 66-100%, respectively, at 7 days post treatment. At the highest concentration of 1 x 10⁸conidiaml^-1, these isolates produced the shortest LT₅₀s of 3.5, 3.6 and 3.4 days, respectively. Their LC₅₀s were 6.8 x 10⁵, 3.1 x 10⁵ and 2.7 x 10⁵ conidia ml^-1, respectively. The results indicate that these isolates are promising candidates for the control of the cowpea aphid but their pathogenicity to various aphid non-target beneficial organisms within the cowpea agroecosystem warrant further investigation before initiating field control.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Sunday Ekesi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aphis craccivora
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)	Aphis craccivora
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Aphis craccivora