Insecticidal Activities of Four Native Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana Bals. (Vuill) Isolates Against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Adults Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

In this work, control capacity of the four isolates (GN22-1, HP15, HP5-2, HP3-1) of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana Bals. (Vuill) were evaluated against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) adults under laboratory conditions. To test the effect of each of the isolate on adults of T. castaneum were dipped into 1×108 conidia/ml suspension of each isolate. The data for mortality was recorded after 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd day. Thirteen days after application, isolates were listed as GN22-1 (72.85%), HP3-1 (48.88%), HP15 (47.37%) and HP5-2 (30.43%) based on the mortality rate they caused. Mortality rate was 83.52% at the end of the 23rd day with isolate GN22-1. While HP3-1 (53.74%) and HP15 (52.24%) caused more than 50% effect at the end of 23 days incubation period, the effect of HP5-2 remained only 32.51%. In addition, LT50 and LT90 rates were also determined. We arrive to the conclusion that especially GN22-1 isolate can has a potential in the control of this insect and may serve an alternative to chemical insecticides.