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Entomopathogenic fungi disturbed the larval growth and feeding performance of Ocinara varians (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) larvae
Author(s) -
Hussain Abid,
Tian MingYi,
He YuRong,
Ahmed Sohail
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
insect science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1744-7917
pISSN - 1672-9609
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2009.01272.x
Subject(s) - biology , metarhizium anisopliae , beauveria bassiana , larva , instar , biological pest control , lepidoptera genitalia , bassiana , spore , hypocreales , entomopathogenic fungi , veterinary medicine , botany , horticulture , metarhizium , zoology , ascomycota , medicine , biochemistry , gene
Feeding experiments using three strains of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana , Metarhizium anisopliae and Isaria fumosorosea were conducted with newly moulted 3rd–5th instar Ocinara varians Walker larvae in the laboratory. The mortality of larvae immersed individually in spore suspension (1 × 10 7 spores/mL) of all the strains was ≥ 80% except 5th instar larvae treated with M. anisopliae which transformed into pupae, but did not result in adult emergence. The growth (total body mass), consumption, relative consumption rate and relative growth rate, were reduced at all three larval stages, while developmental time was extended in infected larvae with concurrent significant increase in approximate digestibility in infected larvae. Conversion of digested food (ECD) and ingested food (ECI) values declined in infected larvae as compared to the healthy larvae (control). The 5th instar larvae treated with M. anisopliae showed higher ECD and ECI values than control. Based on mortality and growth inhibition it can be suggested that all the studied fungal strains have a high potential for biocontrol and could be developed into biocontrol agents against O . varians .