Selection of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok. isolates against Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

This study was carried out to evaluate entomopathogenic fungi isolates as microbial control agents ofthe lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer). Larvae and adults were inoculated with conidial suspension of 99 isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok. (10(5) to 10(9) conidia/ml). Vegetative growth on culture media and sporulation on culture media, cooked rice and lesser mealworm cadavers were also evaluated. Isolates of B. bassiana were more effective than the M. anisopliae isolates and larvae were more susceptible than adults. The isolates UNIOESTE 04 and UNIOESTE 02 were originally obtained from adults of the lesser mealworm and were the most efficient isolates. In addition, UNIOESTE 04 showed high level of sporulation on different culture media and is considered a potential useful tool to lesser mealworm control.