Isolation and evaluation of Beauveria bassiana for control of Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Six Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin isolates were obtained from Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in the U.S. and China. These isolates, plus the B. bassiana isolate 26037 from American Type Culture Collection that was isolated from Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) were compared against C. formosanus and R. flavipes in the laboratory. Most B. bassiana isolates caused termite mortality between 4-8d after treatment. The isolates obtained from termites were not significantly more virulent than the standard strain. The relative virulence between the 6 B. bassiana isolates and 2 Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin isolates against R. flavipes were compared. Beauveria bassiana was found to be much less virulent than M. anisopliae against R. flavipes.