THE EFFECT OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS Metarhizium anisopliae VAR acridum ON FLIGHT MUSCLES IN THE DESERT LOCUST,Schistocerca gregaria (FORSKAL)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Entomology and Pesticides, Fac. Agric., Cairo University

2 Department of Locust and Grasshopper, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center.

Abstract

The effect of infecting the flight muscles of adult desert locust Schistocerca gregaria Forskal with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var acridum was studied. The results show that the fungal spores germinated on the cuticle and penetrated the flight muscles 24 hours after the treatment. The histopathological studies of the treated muscles showed that the nucleus, mitochondria, myofibrils and the vacuoles were highly deformed. The activity of trehalase increased during the first two days after the treatment then significantly decreased on the third day. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was always lower in the mycosed insects.      

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