Ovicidal activity of two fungal pathogens (Hyphomycetes) against Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acarina:Tetranichidae)

The carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinna-barinus, is an economically important pest that devastates varieties of crops worldwide and develops significant resistance to common chemical pesticides, most of which lack ovicidal activity. In the present study, two isolates of entomopathogenic fungi, Beuaveria bassiana SG8702 and Pae-cilomyces fumosoroseus Pfrl53, were bioassayed against T. cinnabarinus eggs at 25 ℃ under a photophase of 12 : 12 (L:D). Infected eggs on Vicia faba var. minor leaves failed to hatch due to distortion and shrinkage and had fungal outgrowths when maintained under moist conditions. Sprays of B. bassiana conidia to T. cinnabarinus eggs (on leaves) at the concentrations of 58, 298 and 1306 conidia/mm2 (3 replicates per concentration and 35-65 fresh mite eggs per replicate) resulted in corrected egg mortalities of 20.4±4.2%, 36.0±7.6% and 64.6±12.5% (F=43.14, P <0.01), respectively; sprays of P. fumosoroseus at 129, 402 and 2328 conidia/mm2 caused egg mortalities of 16.1±11.1%,