International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (2014) 34, 190-196

David M. Bugeme, Markus Knapp, Hamadi I. Boga, Sunday Ekesi and Nguya K. Maniania (2014)
Susceptibility of developmental stages of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) to infection by Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae)
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 34 (3), 190-196
Abstract: In the present study, the susceptibility of different developmental stages (eggs, larvae, protonymphs, deutonymphs and adults) of Tetranychus urticae Koch to the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin was evaluated in the laboratory. At each developmental stage, four concentrations (3 × 10⁵, 1 × 10⁶, 3 × 10⁶ and 1 × 10⁷ conidia/ml) of both fungi were sprayed. Egg viability and motile-stage mortality varied among the fungal isolates and conidial concentrations. The highest conidial concentration (1 × 10⁷ conidia/ml) significantly reduced the viability of eggs and increased the mortality of motile stages. However, deutonymphs and adults were more susceptible to fungal infection than larvae and protonymphs. The lethal concentration values to 50% (LC₅₀) and 90% mortality (LC₉₀) varied with the fungal isolates and developmental stages. The results show the prospects of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae for the control of T. urticae.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Nguya K. Maniania, Markus Knapp, Sunday Ekesi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

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