Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana (Bb 112) against sucking insect pests of tomato and brinjal and its relative safety to honeybees

Pathogenicity test performed against Thrips tabaci, Ferrisia virgata in tomato, Bemisia tabaci and Scirtothrips dorsalis in brinjal in laboratory experiments, revealed that oil formulation of B. bassiana, (Bb 112) was highly virulent with the lowest LC₅₀ values of 0.23 × 10⁶ spores ml⁻¹, 0.34 × 10⁶ spores ml⁻¹, 1.62 × 10⁶ spores ml⁻¹ and 0.46 × 10⁶ spores ml⁻¹, respectively. Time mortality response of tested insect pests in brinjal, showed the LT₅₀ values for T. tabaci, F. virgata in tomato, B. tabaci and S. dorsalis in brinjal, as 98.06, 95.23, 106.30 and 115.83 h, respectively at 10⁸ spores ml⁻¹.