Evaluation of using entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae for controlling Musca domestica

Abstract

Evaluation of the appropriate frequency of using Metarhizium anisopliae for controlling house flies Musca domestica was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD), with each treatment having 5 replications as follows: T1: Control (spraying with water); T2: Spraying M. anisopliae 2 days per week; T3: Spraying M. anisopliae 4 days per week; and T4: Spraying M. anisopliae 6 days per week. In each replication, for larvae aged 4–7 days, there were 30 individuals per box, and for pupae aged 10–20 days, there were 10 pupae per box. At the end of the 264-h experimental period, T2 resulted in the greatest larval mortality, averaging 0.27273 individuals. Statistical analysis revealed that this value was significantly higher than the mortality rates recorded in T3, 4, and 1. Additionally, housefly larvae had the highest pupation rate, averaging 1.8545 individuals in T4, which was not statistically different from T2, T1, and T3, respectively. In the pupal stage, the highest mortality was found in T3, averaging 0.21818 individuals, which was not statistically different from T4, T2, and T1, respectively, and the highest adult emergence was observed in T1, averaging 0.09091 individuals, which was not statistically different from T3, T4, and T2, respectively. This experiment also found that low temperature and high relative humidity affected the evaluation results regarding mortality, low larval pupation, as well as slower pupal development. Therefore, the objective is to evaluate the appropriate frequency of using M. anisopliae to control house fly populations. The results showed that the best frequency for using Metarhizium green fungus to control pupal-stage house fly populations is in T2, spraying M. anisopliae 2 days per week, and the best frequency for controlling house fly populations at the pupa stage is in T3, spraying M. anisopliae 4 days per week.