Cimex lectularius L. (Cimicidae – Heteroptera) control using the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Gale E. Ridge and Anuja Bharadwaj, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT

ABSTRACT Cimex lectularius L. adults were treated with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. In the laboratory, male and female bed bugs were treated with a range of fungal concentrations and by different delivery methods. Mortality was influenced by fungal concentration and delivery method. Metarhizium anisopliae is considered safe to humans. This study indicates that M. anisopliae could be an effective biological control agent for C. lectularius.