Abstract:
Beekeeping is an important activity to increase the family income in rural areas. However, honey
bees pests and their control measurements is a great challenge. Despite the extensive use of
insecticide to control the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is the most distructive insect pests
of honey bees in the tropic. Hence the present a study was aimed to test the entomopathogenic
fungus Beauveria bassiana as microbiological control agent against G. mellonella. The third
larvae instars were tested against different fungal suspension spores concentrations which were
prepared from sub culture in the Microbial Pesticides formulation Unit (National Centre for
Research) during the period from (2014-2015). The obtained result showed G. mellonella larvae
were highly susceptible to the infection of B. bassiana. High mortality (20-100%) was achieved
using different concentrations at exposure time of 11 days under laboratory condition (60-70 RH
and 25c'+_2). Mortality mean was significantly different among concentrations (F= 35.75, P <
0.05) and significantly higher in all the concentrations in comparison to control. The LC50 that
can kill 50 % of G. mellonella larvae after treatment with 5UL of B. bassiana ITCC 6628 at
different concentrations was estimated to be 01.40 X 107 conidia /mL .The LT50 was estimated at
different concentration. The highest pathogenicity was obtained by concentration of 01X 109
conidia /ml at estimate LT50 value of 7 day and 12 hours. The present study clearly showed that
B.bassiana is a promising biological control agent against G. mellonella, but this finding needs
more investigation in the field of non-selectivity and formulation improvement of B. bassian. |
