The major objective of this study is to mass produce Metarhizium anisopliae (Mets.) in a cheap substrate like jack fruit seed and to ascertain spore quality by evluating the effect of their powder formulation against the life stages stored grain pest, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The production of conidiospores in jack fruit seed medium was high. The 16 days old culture was fully covered with the conidiospores. The conidiospore production recorded after 16 days of

more »

... ation was 21.2x 10 4 spores/ ml and the viable count was 41.4x10 7 cfu/ ml. The dust formulation of M. anisopliae containing the adjuvants like charcoal, kaolin, wheat flour and ash was prepared to contain 3, 6 or 9 percent dry fungal powder preparations of different concentrations were very effective against all the larval instars of C. cephalonica. The mortality rate increased with the increasing concentration of dust formulation and days of exposure. Third instar larvae were more susceptible to the fungal formulation than the older ones. The culture media and adjuvants used for the preparation are ideal, since the cost of materials is very low and the entomopathogenecity high.