REPELLENT ACTIVITY AND MORTALITY OF TWO COMMERICAL FUNGAL FORMULATIONS AGAINST TERMITE WORKERS

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of commercial formulation (Malizian and Indian) of pathogenic fungus M.anisopliae in behavior and mortality of termite workers in laboratory conditions during 2011. The results of study showed that the fungus in all formulations caused repllent effect against termite workers in the beginning of treatment due to the variation in concentrations in which increasing spores concentration causing avoidance of workers to treated termite media so that the workers behavior distinction with rotation around the margin of petri dish containing treated media and move to untreated media during the first time of treatment which reached 7-10 days, as a result of this avoidance. The mortality percentage was very low in all concentration while the high concentration caused repellents. The mortality percentage in the first week reached 21.16, 8.81, 12.59 % in the concentration 2, 4, 6 gliter and 9.11, 14.56, 3.23 % in the concentration 2, 4, 6 ml liter for Malizian and Indian formulation respectively. The workers gathered in the connection between treated and untreated petri dish whole in the time of treatment progress the repellents of concentration was decreased in the mortality percentage 100 % achieved after 7, 6, 8 weeks in concentration 2, 4, 6 gL of Malizian formulation and after 9, 8, 8 weeks in concentration 2, 4, 6 mlL of Indian formulation respectively. The results showed that Malizian formulation caused more repellent compared with Indian formulation, but there was no significant effect between the two formulations in the study.