ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL-POPULATIONS OF THE MOROCCAN LOCUST DOCIOSTAURUS-MAROCCANUS (THUNBERG) (ORTHOPTERA, GOMPHOCERINAE) AND OTHER ACRIDOIDEA IN SPAIN
P. Hernandezcrespo et C. Santiagoalvarez, ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL-POPULATIONS OF THE MOROCCAN LOCUST DOCIOSTAURUS-MAROCCANUS (THUNBERG) (ORTHOPTERA, GOMPHOCERINAE) AND OTHER ACRIDOIDEA IN SPAIN, Biocontrol science and technology, 7(3), 1997, pp. 357-363
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.