Evaluation of the Efficacy of Commercial and Local Entomopathogenic Fungi Metarhizium anisopliae Against Ephestia cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralida) under Lab Conditions

Abstract

Abstract The Ephestia cautella (Walk) (Lepidoptera: Pyralida) is a crucial insect of storage products worldwide. The experiments were conducted to assess Entomopathogenic Fungi (EPFs) (two isolates) with commercial formulations, Met 52 EC (Metarhizium anisopliae strain F52) and local entomopathogenic fungal isolates against Ephestia cautella. Commercial formulations of entomopathogenic fungal M. anisopliae affected the main mortality levels in the E.cautella adult at all three sporal concentrations (2×104, 2×106, 2×108 spore/ml), compared to the local isolates of M. anisopliae. Corrected mortality of E.cautella adult caused by both Commercial and local M. anisopliae 7 days after exposure at 2 × 108 spore/ml was 32±1.3 and 48 ± 1.4 %, respectively. 2nd, 5th instar larvae had a higher mortality level than the adults of E. cautella. The results reveal that Entomopathogenic Fungi isolated from the UK and Iraq can be applied as the microbial bio-agent control against E. castella. Consequently, more studies are required to develop commercial Entomopathogenic Fungi of naturally isolated.