SELECTION OF BEAUVERIA BASSIANA STRAINS FOR THE CONTROL OF COTTON BOLL WEEVIL ANTHONOMUS GRANDIS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) ADULTS

ABSTRACT The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is one of the most important pests of the cotton crop, requiring an elevated quantity of insecticides for its control.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness ofBeauveria bassianastrains for A. grandis control. In this assay, 9 strains from different hosts were tested in the concentration of 1 x 108 conidia/mL, under laboratory conditions. All strains evaluated were pathogenic to the cotton boll weevil, causing between 50 and 85% confirmed mortality. The lethal time to kill 50% of insects (LT50) ranged between 2.30 and 8.66 days. The IBCB 241 strain stood out as the most virulent, presenting the highest percentage of confirmed mortality and the shortest LT50, and can therefore be considered as a promising agent for the biological control of the cotton boll weevil A. grandis.