EVALUATION OF THE FUNGUS BEAUVERIA-BASSIANA AS A POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL AGENT AGAINST PHLEBOTOMINE SAND FLIES IN COLOMBIAN COFFEE PLANTATIONS

In Colombia, the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromy cotina: Hyphomycetes) is widely used to control the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in coffee plantations. R ecent studies suggested that this fungus is also pathogenic to several important vectors of disease, including Phlebotomus papatasi and Lutz omyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae). The present study evaluated the use of B. bassiana as a potential biological control agent against phlebotomine sand flies in Colombian coffee plantations, Histopatholo gic examination indicates that B. bassiana is unable to infect sand fl ies under natural conditions, although dead sand flies were shown to b e readily infected, In addition, laboratory bioassays where flies were exposed to the fungus applied onto coffee plants (though not filter p aper) showed lower mean survival times than the control. (C) 1997 Acad emic Press.