Sublethal effects of different fungal isolates on Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Background Broad-spectrum pesticides and Bt crops have been used against the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), but their effect on the environment and the development of resistance are the main limitations for these control measures. The use of mycobiopesticides is an ecofriendly and efficient alternative. Fungicides have a wide distribution and a high genetic variability, which allows their screening for more virulent isolates. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the interactions of H. armigera larvae with Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, on mortality, virulence, sublethal effects, and life table aspects. Main body The isolates that caused mortality rates of H. armigera above 80% were selected for further assays. Virulence was measured by LC50 estimates, using Probit analysis to sublethal effects, and the bootstrap procedure to estimate the biological parameters: time for development, fertility, longevity, pre-ovipositional period, egg viability, and sex ratio. The H. armigera mortality rates caused by B. bassiana and M. anisopliae ranged from 45 to 100% and from 40 to 90%, respectively. Longevity, fertility, and survival rates are affected in all treatments. The pupal weight of individuals treated with fungi was lower than in the control. Deformations were observed in H. armigera pupae developed from larvae treated with B. bassiana. Conclusion The use of sublethal concentrations of isolates of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana resulted in an adverse effect on the biological parameters of H. armigera.