Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae MET-GRA4 isolate on dengue vectors, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Considering the rapid transmission of the dengue virus, substantial efforts need to be conducted to ward-off the epidemics of dengue viruses. The control effort is depending on chemical insecticides and had aroused undesirable conflicts of insecticide resistance. Here, we study the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae as a promising new biological control agent for vector control. The pathogenicity effects of Metarhizium anisopliae against field and laboratory strains of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti larvae were tested using the larvicidal bioassay technique. The results demonstrate that the treatments using M. anisopliae isolate MET-GRA4 were highly effective and able to kill 100% of both Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti mosquito larvae at a conidia concentration of 1 x 10(6)/ml within 7 days of the treatment period. The fungus displayed high larvicidal activity against laboratory and field strain of Ae. aegypti larvae with LC50 values (9.6 x 10(3)/ml, 1.3 x 10(3)/ml) and LC95 values (1.2 x 10(6)/ml, 5.5 x 10(5)/ml) respectively. For Ae. albopictus, LC50 values for laboratory and field strains were (1.7 x 10(4)/ml, 2.7 x 10(4)/ml) and the LC95 values were (2.1 x 10(6)/ml, 7.0 x 10(5)/ml) respectively. Interestingly, the susceptibility of field strain towards M. anisopliae was higher as compared to the laboratory strain Aedes larvae. In which, the causative agents of all the dead larvae were verified by the virulence of M. anisopliae and caused morphological deformities on larval body. The findings from this study identify this isolate could be an effective potential biocontrol agent for vector mosquitoes in Malaysia.