Toxicity and Pathogenicity Testing of the Insect Pest Control Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Renewed interest in the use of Metarhizium anisopliae and its toxins for insect control prompted the following safety assessment. A neutral extract (methylene chloride, pH 7.2), derived from M. anisopliae cultures, was evaluated for toxicity and mutagenicity using aquatic animal bioassays and the Ames test. The average LC50 of the neutral extract obtained in static, acute 96-h tests conducted with 0.05) mortalities or malformations.

Virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae to Embryos of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio

Experiments were performed in which developing embryos of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, were exposed to conidiospores of the insect pathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae. Responses were variable, with significant (P