Artificial hideouts for control of fruit moths: Persistence of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Isaria fumosorosea under semi-field condition

The usage of corrugated cardboard and mulches as artificial hideouts for cocooning and pupating of different fruit moths is under discussion. Therefore, under semi-field conditions the persistence of two entomopathogenic fungi formulated in oil or water and two different application strategies on mulches were compared. Additionally, for Isaria fumosorosea the persistence of different produced spores was investigated. The results demonstrate that rape seed oil and I. fumosorosea persist on mulches for at least two months. But the persistence is influenced by environmental factors, especially rainfall. In contrast to I. fumosorosea the efficacy of M. anisopliae was not sufficient. Submerged spores of I. fumosorosea were as persistent as aerial conidia and its persistence was not influenced by the formulation, but by the application.