Selection of virulent isolates of entomopathogenic hyphomycetes against Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål. and evaluation in cage experiment using three cowpea varieties.

The virulence of 8 isolates of entomopathogenic hyphomycetes against adult and 5th instar nymph of Clavigralla tomentosicollis was evaluated in the laboratory at 4 different concentrations of inoculum. At all concentrations, Beauveria bassiana CPD 9 and Metarhizium anisopliae CPD 5 caused the highest mortality in adult bug ranging from 58 to 97% and 53 to 100%, respectively at 7 days post inoculation. The same isolates had the shortest LT50 (3.5 and 4.1 days, respectively) and the lowest LC50 (1.8 x 10(5) and 9.8 x 10(4) conidia ml-1) values in adult insects. In nymphs, M. anisopliae CPD 5 was the most virulent isolate causing mortality of between 43 to 92% with the shortest LT50 of 2.7 days and the lowest LC50 of 4.6 x 10(5) conidia ml-1 which however did not differ significant from LC50 observed in B. bassiana CPD 9 isolate at 5 days post inoculation. A significant reduction in feeding in both developmental stages treated with fungi was observed at 2 days after treatment with the greatest reduction occurring in insects treated with B. bassiana CPD 9 and M. anisoplia CPD 5. In adult insects treated with these isolates, some bugs ceased feeding 24 h before death. When these two isolates were compared in caged experiment with an untreated control using a susceptible, tolerant and moderately resistant variety of cowpea, percentage pod and seed damage were significantly lower in fungal treated cages than in the control cages on all varieties tested. Grain yield per plant was also significantly higher in fungal treated cages than in the control cages on all varieties. The performance of M. anisopliae CPD 5 was however superior to B. bassiana CPD 9. Application of the fungi on moderately resistant variety of cowpea was found to enhance the performance of the pathogen.