THE EFFECT OF THE FUNGUS (Metarhizium anisopliae var acridum) (METSCH.) ON THE HOUSE FLY (Musca domestica L)

Abstract

The use of the synthetic pesticides for the control of agricultural crop pests since 1940 resulted in many disadvantages. These drawbacks include, mammalian toxicity, phytotoxicity to plants, insect resistance to pesticides, disturbance of natural balance and pesticides residues in the environment. These problems lead to the international search for more effective and more safe alternatives for pest control. Accordingly, many Biopesticides were chosen and investigated for their efficiency against agricultural and medical pests. In this study, the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch) was chosen to be applied in the present trials. This fungus has been widely researched and applied against the desert locust, grasshoppers, termites and other insects and the results are promising. Mixture of the fungus (Myco-pesticide: Green Muscle) and gasoline was applied topically, either by dipping or contact methods against immature stages (larvae and pupae) of house fly M. domestica under laboratory condition with the following concentrations 12.5% , 25% and 50%. The results showed that all concentrations applied by the two methods led to 100% mortality compared to untreated control. When the pure fungus (culture) mixed with the cotton seed oil, in five concentrations, 1.2 × 102, 1.2 × 103 , 1.2 × 104 1.2 × 105, 1.2 × 106 spores/ml, and applied by contact or as a baits against the larvae it showed 20 – 30% mortality. The results also showed that the mixture of the Mycopesticide (Green Muscle) with the gasoline had a repellent effect against the adult of housefly, while the mixture of pure fungus (culture) with cotton seed oil did not record any repellent effects. VIII