Selectivity of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) on Adults of Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Understanding mortality patterns and interactions between entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids is important to improve insect biological control programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff, 1879) Sorokin, 1833 and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, 1912 (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) on adults of Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with biological insecticides Biometha WP Plus (R) (M. anisopliae), Bioveria G (R) (B. bassiana), Boverril WP (R) (B. bassiana), Metarril WP (R) (M anisopliae), and Metie WP (R) (M anisopliae) at concentrations of 1 x 10(9) conidia (con).mL(-1), 5 x 10(9) con.ml(-1), and 10 x 10(9) con.ml(-1). In the experimental, 10 females of C. fiavipes were packed in disposable cups capped with a contact surface (filter paper, 9 cm(2)) treated with commercial product. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 16 treatments and five replicates of 10 females each. Mortality was assessed at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours after exposition (HAE) of the products. In general, B. bassiana and M anisopliae in the concentrations of 1 x 10(9) con.ml(-1), 5 x 10(9) con.ml(-1), and 10 x 10(9) con.ml(-1) can't affect C. flavipes females because the peak of mortality in treatments with bioinsecticides was similar to the control and this demonstrated the selectivity of fungi B. bassiana and M anisopliae on C. flavipes females.