Efficacy of indigenous isolates of Entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on the tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

Pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), isolated from soil samples collected from Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, was evaluated on the second-instar larvae of the tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Fabicus) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory conditions. The seven isolates of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were used at the concentrations of 1 × 104, 1 × 105, 1 × 106, 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 conidia/ml. The highest mortality UKBSPC Bb 1 and UKMFC Ma 4 each showed a mortality rate of 93.33 per cent at 10⁸ conidia/ml. The lowest mortality was observed in UKAFRC Bb 1 at 53.33 per cent with 10⁴ conidia/ml respectively. It was found that B. bassiana isolates was more effective than M. anisopliae against S. litura larvae. UKBSPC Bb 1, UKAFRC Ma 4, and UKMFC Bb 5 of isolates B. bassiana and M. anisolpiae can be a potential biological control agent used against S. litura larvae.