CULTURE, STORAGE, AND INCUBATION PERIOD OF NEOZYGITES-FRESENII (ENTOMOPHTHORALES, NEOZYGITACEAE) A PATHOGEN OF THE COTTON APHID

Methods for in vivo culture, handling, and storing the entomopathogeni c fungus Neozygites fresenii (Nowakowski) in Aphis gossypii Glover wer e developed. A simple culture technique that exposed A. gossypii on ex cised cotton leaves in a growth chamber to infected aphids was success ful in maintaining the fungus culture. The fungus remained viable for up to 12 months in frozen, infected aphid mummies. A mean of 3,052 pri mary conidia was discharged per cadaver after removal from frozen stor age. Most (76.5%) primary conidia were discharged into the air. Time t o death of A. gossypii apterae after exposure to capilliconidia of N. fresenii varied with temperature. Mortality due to the fungus peaked a t ca. 3, 4, 5-6, and 6-8 days at 30, 25, 20 and 15-degrees-C, respecti vely. At 35-degrees-C no aphids died from mycosis.