BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL OF THE ENTOMOGENOUS FUNGI BEAUVERIA-BASSIANA AND METARHIZIUM-ANISOPLIAE FOR TSETSE-FLIES (GLOSSINA SPP) AT DEVELOPMENTAL SITES

Spores of two entomogenous fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, were mixed with sterile sand at two different concentrations (1.0 and 0.5 g/liter) and larvae of tsetse flies Glossina morsitans morsitans allowed to pupate in it, simulating field larviposition sites. One gram weight of B. bassiana-sand mixture was estimated to contain 1.4 x 10(6) spores/g and that of M. anisopliae-sand mixture 2.3 x 10(6) spores/g. Adult tsetse emerging from pupae in sand-spore mixtures suffered heavy mortalities 2-10 days postemergence. The highest mortality recorded at 1.0 g/liter was 97% for B. bassiana and 80% for M. anisopliae. Lower spore concentrations produced lower mortalities. Possibilities of biocontrol of tsetse in the held using mycopesticides at breeding sites are discussed. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.