Bio-efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria against invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) under laboratory condition

Laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the bio-efficacy of different strains of entomopathogenic fungi viz., Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Nomuraea rileyi and entomopathogenic bacteria viz., Bacillus thuringiensis against fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory condition. Among different entomopathogenic fungi evaluated, AAU strain of M. anisopliae @ 2x109 conidia/ml showed the highest larval mortality i.e., 57.56% and 50.63% against 2nd and 3rd instar larvae respectively. The same strain registered the larval mortality of 55.50% and 48.45% against 2nd and 3rd instar larvae respectively @ 2 x 108 conidia/ml. In case of entomopathogenic bacteria, AAU strain of Bacillus thuringiensis showed 64.65% and 59.01% larval mortality against 2nd and 3rd instar larvae respectively when spore-crystal mixture was tested @ 3 ml. The present study emphasizes the significant efficacy of native strains of entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria as compared to non-native strains against invasive pest S. frugiperda.