MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ISOLATES OF METARHIZIUM FROM LOCUSTS AND GRASSHOPPERS

The relationships between 30 strains of Metarhizium were investigated by isoenzyme analysis, PCR-RAPDs, and protease production. The strains included representatives of M. anisopliae, M. flavoviride var. flavov iride and M. flavoviride var. minus. Thirteen isolates conforming to M . flavoviride from acridoid hosts and pathogenic to locusts and grassh oppers were shown to be a single, distinctive genotype with a pan-trop ical distribution. In addition, the separation of M. flavoviride ide v ar. minus as a host specific taxon distinct from European isolates of M. flavoviride was also supported. The possibility of coevolution with in some insect pathogenic populations is discussed.