EPIZOOTIOLOGICAL STUDY OF NEOZYGITES PARVISPORA (ZYGOMYCOTA, ENTOMOPHTHORACEAE) IN A POPULATION OF FRANKLINIELLA-OCCIDENTALIS (THYSANOPTERA, THRIPIDAE) ON PEPPER IN SICILY

This paper describes an epizootic of the entomopathogenic fungus Neozy gites parvispora occurring in a population of Frankliniella occidental is in a pepper crop under plastic-house, in south-eastern Sicily (Ital y). The progress of the epizootic in the thrips population was monitor ed weekly, from December 1990 to April 1991. Infections of N. parvispo ra caused up to more than 60 % mortality of the mobile developmental s tages of the thrips, reducing consistently both the insect population density and the proportion of flowers and leaves infested by thrips. A ll mobile developmental stages of the thrips (adults, 1 st- and 2nd-in star larvae) were susceptible to the infections of N. parvispora. The incidence of mycosis in each developmental stage was positively correl ated with its respective proportion in the thrips population.