EFFICIENCY OF TWO FORMULATIONS OF THEPATHOGENIC FUNGI, BIOSECT (Beauveria bassiana) AND BIORANZA (Metarhizium anisopliae) AGAINST LARVAE OF Spodoptera littoralis (BOISD.) AND Agrotis ipsilon (HFN.) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTIDAE)

Laboratory tests and a semi-field trial were carried out to determine the efficiency of two commercial preparations of the entomopathogenic fungi, beauveria bassiana and metarhizium anisopliae namely; biosect w.p., and bioranza10 % w.p., against the first instar larvae of the cotton leaf worm, spodoptera littoralis (boisd.) and, agrotis ipsilon (hfn.) (lepedoptera : noctuidae). newly hatched, one- day and two- day old larvae of the two insects were allowed to feed on castor oil leaves (100 gram / replicate) treated with different concentrations of the two entomopathogenic fungi for 48hrs at three different temperatures, 20, 25 and 30˚c. mortality rate increased by increasing the concentration, or post treatment period and temperature. newly hatched larvae were the most sensitive to the toxic effect especially at highest concentration and temperature(30˚c), while the two- day old larvae were the most tolerant and the one-day old larvae expressed a moderate tolerance. s. littoralis was more sensitive than a. ipsilon. calculated lc50s values for initial mortality of the newly hatched larvae were (0.458, 0.309 and 0.279 mg/ml. when treated with biosect and (0.676, 0.352 and 0.317 when treated with bioranza) at 20, 25 and 25 ˚c, respectively. consumed castor oil leaves were decreased by increasing the concentration and temperature but were lower than the control.