Bulletin of Insectology, cilt.63, sa.2, ss.243-246, 2010 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Lecanicillium muscarium (Petch) Zare et Gams is a widely occurring entomopathogenic fungus. The effect of L. muscarium against Ricania simulans (Walker) (Rhynchota Ricaniidae) was studied under laboratory and field conditions. In laboratory studies, six isolates of L. muscarium were assessed against nymphs of R. simulans, at a single dose (1 × 107 conidia/ml) on tea leaflets. Mortality percentage caused by L. muscarium isolates after a seven-day period varied from 50.95 to 74.76% and median lethal time (LT50) values ranged from 2.34 to 3.90 days. In a field experiment, L. muscarium strain Lm4 was assessed against nymphs and adults of R. simulans, at a single dose (1 × 107 conidia/ml) on kiwifruit plants. The LT50 values for nymphs and adults of R. simulans were 4.18 days and 6.49 days, respectively. The results of the field study indicated that R. simulans nymphs were more susceptible to the fungus than adults. L. muscarium strain Lm4 could be considered as an environmentally friendly alternative for biocontrol of R. simulans.