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Muscardine Fungi for the Biological Control of Agroforestry Termite Odontotermes Obesus (Rambur)

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Abstract

Among the eight entomopathogenic fungi tested against the termite, Odontotermes obesus (Rambur), five fungal pathogens viz., Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill,Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin var. anisopliae, M.flavoviride Gams Rozsypal var. minus, Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thorn) Samson and P.fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith, were pathogenic. Three other fungal pathogens viz. Verticillium lecanii Zimm, Paecilomyces farinosus (Holm. ex Gray) and Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) were not pathogenic. B. bassiana was the most effective pathogen against termites, followed by M. anisopliae, M.flavoviride, P. lilacinus and P.fumosoroseus. Workers minor, of the three morphogenetic forms of O. obesus, were the most susceptible, followed by workers major and soldier caste. Bioassay on isolates of two most virulent termite pathogens, B. bassiana and M. anisopliae revealed that B. bassiana isolate Bapatla was the most effective fungal pathogen with the lowest LC50 (9.98 × 104 conidia/ml)

Résumé

Huit champignons entomopathogènes ont été testes contre les termites Odontotermes obesus (Rambur). Cinq espèces se sont révélées efficaces: Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin var. anisopliae, M. flavoviride Gams Rozsypal var. minus, Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom.) Samson et P. fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown et Smith. B. bassiana a été le plus efficace suivi par M. anisopliae, M. flavoviride, P. lilacinus et P. fumosoroseus. Sur les trois morphotypes de O. obesus testés, les petits ouvriers ont été les plus effectés, suivis par les grands ouvriers puis les soldats. Les trois autres champignons pathogènes, Verticillium lecanii Zimm., Paecilomyces farinosus (Holm, ex Gray) et Nomureae rileyi (Farlow) n’ont pas donné de résultat positif. Les essais biologiques sul les isolats obtenus sur les deux entomopathogènes les plus virulents, B. bassiana et M. anisopliae, ont montre que l’isolat B. bassiana Bapatla a été le pathogène le plus efficace avec les valeurs LC50 (9.98 x 104 conidia/ml) et LT50 (83,66hr) les plus faibles.

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Author notes

  1. H. Khader Khan (Assistant Professor (Entomology), Directorate of Extension)

    Present address: UAS, Bangalore, 560024, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, India

    H. Khader Khan (Assistant Professor (Entomology), Directorate of Extension), S. Jayaraj & M. Gopalan

Authors
  1. H. Khader Khan
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  2. S. Jayaraj
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  3. M. Gopalan
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Khan, H.K., Jayaraj, S. & Gopalan, M. Muscardine Fungi for the Biological Control of Agroforestry Termite Odontotermes Obesus (Rambur). Int J Trop Insect Sci 14, 529–535 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400014223

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