Susceptibility of different life stages of Ornithodoros lahorensis to entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana

Abstract

The use of chemicals for the control of arthropod pests can be problematic due to the potential for both environmental contamination and resistance development. As a result, there is an increasing interest in nonchemical alternatives, such as biocontrol by entomopathogenic fungi. In the present study, three strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (V245, 3247, and 4456) and one strain of Beauveria bassiana (LM 3.2) were evaluated under laboratory conditions for their virulence towards three life stages of Ornithodoros lahorensis. Groups of eggs, larvae, and adult ticks were treated by immersion in two different suspensions (105 and 107 conidia/ml) of each fungal strain. All treatment and control gr..