ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL-POPULATIONS OF THE MOROCCAN LOCUST DOCIOSTAURUS-MAROCCANUS (THUNBERG) (ORTHOPTERA, GOMPHOCERINAE) AND OTHER ACRIDOIDEA IN SPAIN

The entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana Vuill. and Metarhizium a nisopliae (Metschnikoff) have been found in natural populations of the Moroccan locust Dociostaurus maroccanus (Thunberg) and other species of acridoids that cohabit the same locust bleeding areas in southern S pain. Infection levels of B. bassiana on insects collected in the fiel d and maintained under laboratory conditions were relatively high (1.6 -20.5%). The prevalence of the disease extended from spring to summer in the three consecutive years monitored. A local isolate of this fung us demonstrated high virulence (LD50 = 440 conidia/insect) against the locust D. maroccanus in the laboratory bioassay. The relatively wide host range of B. bassiana and its adaptation to the dry and hot condit ions dominating the locust breeding ai ea suggest that this isolate co uld be consider ed in the development of a biological control programm e against D. maroccanus.