Efficiency of Lecaniicillium lecanii Crude Filtrate as a Bioinsecticide Against the Sunn Pest, Eurygaster testudinaria on Wheat Plants

This study investigated extracellular crude secondary metabolites of the entomopathogenic fungus Lecaniicillium lecanii as bioinsecticide spray against nymphs and adults of the sunn pest, Eurygaster testudinaria (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), on wheat crop. The results showed that the highest mortality rate of E. testudinaria adults 96.70% was obtained in response to the concentration 100%, 10 days post-treatment. Whereas the mortality rate of 5th instar nymphs reached 100% in response to the same concentration, 5 days post-treatment compared with 0.00 % in the control treatment, under laboratory conditions. In the field experiments, the 100% concentration was more effective compared with the rest of the concentrations. The study identified compounds in the crude secondary metabolites of L. lecanii which are effective in controlling the sunn pest E. testudinaria on wheat crops. Keywords: Sunn pest, Eurygaster testudinaria, entomopathogenic fungi, Lecaniicillium lecanii, secondary metabolites, wheat.