Credibility of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria Bassiana for controlling mole crickets, Gryllotalpa (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae)

Mole crickets are one of the most destructive groups of vegetables, field crops, turf and pasture grass pests in Egypt and world wide countries based on the damage they cause and the high cost of control. The use of conventional insecticides in field crops and vegetables fields often exposes environmentally sensitive areas such as irrigation lakes, residential homes, and wildlife to the possible deleterious effects of chemicals. A more environmentally friendly control agent is the entomopathogenic soil fungus, Beauveria bassiana. The present work aims to evaluate the efficacy of using the biological agents Beauveria bassiana in controlling the mole cricket, Grellotalpa sp. Field studies were conducted during 2007 and 2008 to study and evaluate the biologically based management program of cotton key pests in Bani Sweif Governorate located 150 km south Cairo, Middle Egypt Region. Results showed that the total number of the dead insects after seven days was 509 in the treatment of Hostathion - H 40 % in 2005 and 334 in 2006 followed by Biosect (6.4 X1010), Biosect (4.8 X1010), Biosect (4 X1010) and Biosect (3.2X 1010), respectively in both the two seasons. Also, The area of the new surface tunnels produced was significant with mean values for each set of replications varying from a low of 26.608 cm2 in the Biosect (6.4 X1010)treatments in 2008 to a high of 281.869 cm2 in the control treatments in 2007 tests .