Entomopathogenic fungi in population of Acridid grasshopper from Sindh, Pakistan

Extensive surveys for collection of Acridid grasshopper were carried out from different province of Pakistan during the year 2012-2013. Present study revealed a significantly high incidence of 73% when sporulation tests were carried out on grasshopper cadavers. At the present 03 species of fingi i-e Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigutus and A. niger were collected and their high infection were reported on the sixteen species i-e Oxya velox Fabricius, 1787; Poekilocerus pictus Fabricius 1775; Oxya hyla hyla Serville, 1831; Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus Bolivar, 1912; Hieroglyphus perpolita (Uvarov, 1932) ; Hieroglyphus oryzivouous Carl, 1916; Acrida exaltata Walker, 1859; Phlaeoba tenebrosa Walker, 1871; Duroniella laticornis Krauss, 1909; Truxalis examia examia Eichwald, 1830; Truxalis grandis fitzgeraldi Drish, 1951; Locusta migratoria Uvarov, 1921; Oedipoda fadtshenkoi pamirica Ramme, 1934; Sphingonotus savignyi Saussure 1884; Sphingonotus rubecens rubecens (Walker) 1870 and Aiolopus thalassinus Fabricius, 1781. These collected host grasshoppers were considered major and minor pest of many valued crops in Pakistan. Furthermore, the results were also discussed in a relation to the ecology of fungal pathogen and their possible role in management of pest in Pakistan.