title: Selection of promising fungal biological control agent of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Larval stages of Frankliniella occidentalis are known to be refractory to fungal infection compared with the adult stage. The objective of this study was to identify promising fungal isolate(s) for the control of larval stages of F. occidentalis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and eight of Beauveria bassiana were screened for virulence against second-instar larvae of F. occidentalis. Conidial production and genetic polymorphism were also investigated. Metarhizium anisopliae isolates ICIPE 7, ICIPE 20, ICIPE 69 and ICIPE 665 had the shortest LT(50) values of 8.0-8.9 days. ICIPE 69, ICIPE 7 and ICIPE 20 had the lowest LC(50) values of 1.1 × 10(7), 2.0 × 10(7) and 3.0 × 10(7) conidia ml(-1), respectively. Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE 69 produced significantly more conidia than M. anisopliae isolates ICIPE 7 and ICIPE 20. Internally transcribed spacers sequences alignment showed differences in nucleotides composition, which can partly explain differences in virulence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results coupled with the previous ones on virulence and field efficacy against other species of thrips make M. anisopliae isolate ICIPE 69 a good candidate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE 69 can be suggested for development as fungus-based biopesticide for thrips management.
authors.affiliation: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niassy
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Maniania
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gitonga
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mburu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masiga
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekesi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D052982:Beauveria / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000472:pathogenicity; D061149:Thysanoptera / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer