Paecilomyces farinosus (Dickson ex Fries) Brown and Smith, a new fungal parasite of the mango leaf webber, Orthaga exvinacea H.
Asari P. A. R., Balakrishnan S., Jacob A., Peethambaran C. K.
Author Affiliation: College of Agriculture, Vellayani 695 522, Kerala, India.
Current Science 46 :163
Abstract : In February-March 1976, dead larvae of Orthaga exvinacea (Hmps.) collected from mango at Vellayani in the Indian State of Kerala were found to have been infected by Paecilomyces farinosus, which has previously been reported from Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in India but not from O. exvinacea in any country. In the laboratory this fungus was found to cause 95% mortality of larvae to which spores had been topically applied; sluggishness and loss of appetite were observed within 48 h of treatment and death in 3-4 days, and in damp conditions the fungus appeared externally on the bodies of the larvae 24 h after death.