Biodiversity of entomopathogenic fungi on coastal rice in Puducherry

Survey was conducted in six communes of Karaikal district, U. T. of Puducherry , India viz., Nedungadu, Thirunallar, Kottucherry, T. R. Pattinam, Neravy and Karaikal. Survey on natural occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi indicated that mycosis was more pronounced in rice crop followed by pulse (black gram). Sixteen species of fungal pathogens were isolated from insect cadavers collected from different communes. The identified pathogenic fungi were Aspergillus flavus Link , Aspergillus niger van Tieghum, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus parasiticus Speare, Beauveria bassiana (Bals.)Vuill., Beauveria bronginiartii Tenella, Fusarium moniliforme Sheld, Fusarium moniliforme Var Subglutinans Fusarium oxysporum Schlect, Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc. Fusarium solani, Mucor cymosus, Paecilomyces varioti Bain, Penicillium citrinum, Sacc., Rhiozopus stolonifer and Verticillium psalliotae Treschow based on cultural and morphological characters.