African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

ISSN 2736-173X

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 2736-173X Vol. 12 (8), pp. 001-004, August, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae Against Adult Anopheles stephensi: A Potential Biocontrol Agent

S. Kamala Kannan*, K. Murugan, A. Naresh Kumar, N. Ramasubramanian and P. Mathiyazhagan

Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046. Tamil Nadu, India.

Accepted 4 May, 2024

The entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae is being considered as a biocontrol agent for the adult mosquito of Anopheles stephensi (Malarial vector). In the present experiment was carried out in the laboratory of 30-50 male and female adult mosquitoes were exposed to M. anisopliae (exposed to 1 x 106 conidia/ml of oil or water suspension). In our results, there was 96% and 94% adult mortality was observed in oil and water formulated conidia of M. anisopliae. Similarly, adult emergency rate was also decreased with increasing concentration (1x108 conidia/ml). Finally, we conclude that the fungal spores or cells developed within insect cuticle which is suppress the cellular defence system and also fungal grow on the legs and wings to arrest the mosquito movement.

Key words: Entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae, Anopheles stephensi.