The Susceptibility of Two Beauveria bassiana Strains on Rice Pests Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera

Entomopathogenic fungi represent a valuable natural resource with significant potential as biological agents for pest management. However, different species or strains of fungi demonstrate varying effectiveness against specific targets. In this study, we assessed the impact of two fungal strains, Beauveria bassiana KN801 and KN802, on the rice planthoppers Ninaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera, in combination with insecticides. Our findings indicate that both B. bassiana strains can effectively infect the nymphs and adults of N. lugens and S. furcifera, resulting in a significantly higher mortality rate compared to the control groups. Notably, the B. bassiana strain KN801 demonstrated greater virulence than B. bassiana KN802 against these pests. However, no significant differences were observed when using different concentrations of the same fungal strain (B. bassiana KN801 or B. bassiana KN802) against these targets. Additionally, both fungi showed a germination rate of over 90% after treatment when combined with several common insecticides like chlorfenapyr and dinotefuran. The combined application of B. bassiana with chlorfenapyr or dinotefuran could improve pest control efficacy for these two pests. This study suggests that the two B. bassiana strains have the potential to infect rice planthoppers N. lugens and S. furcifera, indicating their promise as agents for the control of these pests.