The potential of native strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin in the management of brinjal ash weevil Myllocerus subfasciatus Guerin-Meneville (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)

• Published in: Biocontrol science and technology Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 204 - 211
• Main Authors: Udhayakumar, Monisha, Pagalahalli Sankaran, Shanmugam, Marimuthu, Murugan, Jawahar, Jeyarani, Nandagopal, Geetha, Thulasy, Srinivasan, Rajasekaran, Raghu, Kabirdoss, Indhumathi, Rajendran, Yamini, Murugesan, Naveen, Selvam, Saravanan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.02.2025; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Ashes; Conidia; Entomopathogenic fungi; Field investigations; Field tests; Insecticides; Insects; Metarhizium; Metarhizium anisopliae; Metarhizium robertsii; Myllocerus; Myllocerus subfasciatus
• ISSN: 0958-3157; 1360-0478
• DOI: 10.1080/09583157.2024.2439868

The ash weevil, Myllocerus subfasciatus, a major subterranean insect pest of brinjal, is managed using insecticides. Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium anisopliae, have emerged as a viable alternative. To identify potential native Metarhizium spp., 38 soil samples were collected from brinjal fields. All eleven Metarhizium spp (anisopliae and robertsii) that were effective against M. subfasciatus had varying lethal concentrations and times. The M. anisopliae TNAU ENTMA TDM 8 strain was the most effective, with the lowest median lethal concentration of 2.13 × 10 5 conidia/ml and a median lethal time of 4.95 days. Field investigations still need to be conducted to identify potential candidate strains against ash weevil grubs and adults.