Adulticidal and larvicidal activity of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against housefly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), in laboratory and simulated field bioassays.

The susceptibility of the adult and larval stage of housefly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), to two entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sor. and Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., was evaluated under laboratory and simulated field bioassays. Bioassays on adult houseflies were carried out at different conidial concentrations ranging from 10(3) to 10(9) conidia/ml in petri plate and minichamber assays. Absolute mortality was observed within 4-5 days at all the concentrations tested. M. anisopliae was found to be more effective with LC(50) of 6.75 × 10(7) conidia/ml compared with 1.21 × 10(8) conidia/ml of B. bassiana in petri plate bioassay. Similar trend was observed in minichamber bioassay. Larvicidal activity evaluated through petri plate bioassay also indicated that M. anisopliae was more effective larvicide with LC(50) of 4.1 × 10(8) conidia/ml as against 3.31 × 10(9) conidia/ml of B. bassiana. Larvicidal activity was further evaluated in simulated field condition of decaying waste matrix using dry conidial formulations (10(8) conidia/g) of both the fungi. Larval mortality obtained in this assay was 43% (B. bassiana) and 63% (M. anisopliae). Remarkably better performance of M. anisopliae as an adulticidal and larvicidal agent over B. bassiana in laboratory bioassays as well as simulated field conditions suggests that it may have good potential to become part of an integrated housefly control program.