Evaluation of pathogenicity of certain mitosporic ascomycete fungi to the house fly, Musca domestica L. (diptera: muscidae)

The virulence of five fungal strains, acremonium cephalosporium, aspergillus niger, penicillium chrysogenum, trichoderma viride, and verticillum albo-atrum by application of 10^8 conidia ml^-1 to larvae and adults of house flies, musca domestica was determined. a. niger produced the highest percentage of mortality to larvae, 85.1 ± 1.60, and adults, 98.2± 3.10, of house flies. topical application of the fungal strains to larvae showed concentration-dependent response and caused mortality ranged between 41% and 83% with lt50 values varying between 5.22 and 7.81 days. the highest percentage of mortality, 83.9 ±3.52, was produced by 10^7 conidia ml^-1 of a. niger with lt50 5.22. the lowest mortality percentage, 41.2 ± 3.00 with lt50 7.81, was produced by 10^5 conidia ml^-1 of v. alboatrum. on the other hand, the highest percentage of mortality to adults of house flies, 97.3 ± 3.52, was produced by 10^7 conidia ml^-1 of a. niger with lt50 3.49. while the lowest mortality percentage, 59.1 ± 2.38 with lt50 6.91, was produced by 105 conidia ml^-1 of v. albo-atrum.