Abstract

In a laboratory study, the pathogenicity of the fungus Beauveria bassiana was evaluated against larvae of the hepalid Sahyadrassus malabaricus, a pest of forest trees in India, as a potential biological control agent. It was shown that a spore suspension prepared from a 7-day-old culture of B. bassiana (containing 1. 4 X 105 spores/ml) sprayed onto field-collected 3-4-month-old larvae produced 80-90 mortality after 96 h. Affected larvae were covered with white a mycelial growth, and from 120 h onwards there was evidence of sporulation. It is concluded that B. bassiana is an effective pathogen of S. malabaricus