Conidial Discharge of an Entomopathogenic Fungus Infecting the Cotton Leafhopper

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the conidial discharge of Batkoa amrascae Keller & Villacarlos, an entomopathogenic fungus found infecting the cotton leafhopper on okra. Field and laboratoy-infected leafhopper cadavers were tested for the effect of light. The fungus from field-infected cadavers kept in the dark during sporulation produced and average of 26,372 conidia (29 hr. mean time conidial production), whereas those exposed to light had 5,290 conidia (33 hr. mean time conidial production). On the other hand, laboratory-infected cadavers exposed to light attained an average of 4,447 conidia while that of cadavers kept in the dark had 3,373 conidia, both had 28 hr mean time conidial production.