SUSCEPTIBILITY OF COPTOTERMES-ACINACIFORMIS (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE) AND NASUTITERMES-EXITIOSUS (ISOPTERA, TERMITIDAE) TO 2 COMMERCIAL ISOLATES OF METARHIZIUM-ANISOPLIAE

Metarhizium anisopliae DAT F-001 and ATCC 62176 were assayed against C optotermes acinaciformis and Nasutitermes exitiosus. Spray application of 8.1 x 10(7) spores ml(-1) of DAT F-001 and 1.2 x 10(8) spores ml(- 1) (ATCC 62176) for 3 seconds to the dorsal surface of the termites re sulted in 100% mortality in 4 days. Unformulated spores were highly re pellent to C. acinaciformis, but this repellency could be overcome by formulating the conidia in attapulgite clay (47%) and surfactant (3%). The spores could be made attractive to termites by the addition of fu rther components to the formulation.