Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuellemin, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and Vertillium lecanii are entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) that occur naturally in the environment and have a potential as biological control agents against many insect pests. A laboratory study was conducted to mass produce entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Verticillium leca...

The three fungal pathogens Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes), and Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) were evaluated as potential biological control agents against the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The ...

Biological control with pathogenic fungi is a promising alternative to chemical control against the subterranean termite. Biological control with pathogenic fungi might provide longlasting insect control without damage to the environment or non-target organisms. M. anisopliae is one of several natural agents for controlling a broad range of insects by direct penetration of the host cuticle. Usi...

Expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries for Metarhizium anisopliae, the causative agent of green muscardine disease, were developed from the broad host-range pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae sf. anisopliae and the specific grasshopper pathogen, M. anisopliae sf. acridum. Approximately 1,700 5' end sequences from each subspecies were generated from cDNA libraries representing fungi grown under con...

Expression analysis of the genes involved in germination, conidiogenisis and pathogenesis of Metarhizium anisopliae during its saprophytic and pathogenic life stages can help plan strategies to increase its efficacy as a biological control agent. We quantified relative expression levels of the nitrogen response regulator gene (nrr1) and a G-protein regulator of genes involved in conidiogenesis ...

Metarhizium anisopliae is a fungus of considerable metabolic and ecological versatility, being a potent insect pathogen that can also colonize plant roots. The mechanistic details of these interactions are unresolved. We provide evidence that M. anisopliae adheres to insects and plants using two different proteins, MAD1 and MAD2, that are differentially induced in insect hemolymph and plant roo...

Bioassays were conducted to document the effects of Metarhizium anisopliae infection on adult female Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) reproduction before death and subsequent survival of offspring. The effect of infection on fecundity was evaluated for females already laying eggs and for newly eclosed females using M. anisopliae isolates ARSEF 7234 and 7711, respectively. Decr...

Ambient pH regulates the expression of virulence genes of Metarhizium anisopliae, but it was unknown if M. anisopliae can regulate ambient pH. Mutants of M. anisopliae altered in production of oxalic acid were evaluated for the interrelationship of ambient pH, buffering capacity added to media, growth, and generation of extracellular proteases and ammonia. Wild-type and acid-overproducing mutan...

Understanding mortality patterns and interactions between entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids is important to improve insect biological control programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff, 1879) Sorokin, 1833 and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, 1912 (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) on adults of Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (Hym...

Repeated subculturing caused rapid changes in the spore surface properties and virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae. Of the two strains evaluated, M. anisopliae V245 attenuated more rapidly than V275. Electrophoretic mobility and Radial Flow Chamber assays were used for the first time to generate qualitative and quantitative information on the adhesive forces of M. anisopliae conidia. Independen...