PATHOGENICITY OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI ON PARACOCCUS MARGINATUS WILLIAMS AND GRANARA DE WILLINK

Studies were conducted to determine the pathogenicity of Lecanicillium lecanii, Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana against papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) II instar nymphs under laboratory conditions. The nymphs of P. marginatuswere susceptible to all three entomopathogenic fungi at varying levels. In general, insect mortality was increased with an increase in the exposure dose and period. When L. lecanii, M. anisopliae and B. bassiana were tested against P. marginatus nymphs, L. lecanii recorded the highest mortality of 73.33 % at 144 hrs after treatment (HAT). M. anisopliae and B. bassiana recorded 63.33 and 56.66% mortality, respectively, at 144 HAT. The LC50 values of L. lecanii, Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana for II instar nymphs of P. marginatus were 1.7 x 106 CFU/ml, 1.3 x 107 CFU/ml and 7.0 X 107 CFU/ml, respectively.