Control of Chalcodermus bimaculat (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on soil with Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) sorokin

Abstract

The fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were tested on Chalcodermus bimaculatus last instar larvae in laboratory and screenhouse conditions. In the laboratory, the isolates M. anisopliae E₆, E₉, Ma₄₃ and CP₂₁₈ were highly virulent, killing 100% of the insects at a dose of 5.4 x 10³ conidia/mm², within seven days after treatment. We also observed that B. bassiana and M. anisopliae mycelium and conidia mixed in soil resulted in 100% mortality of larvae, with the mycelium treatment taking longer time to reach the average larvae mortality. In the screenhouse, B. bassiana and M. anisoplise conidia, at the dose equivalent to 240 g/ha, produced approximately 70% of C. binmulatus larvae mortality.