• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.103-106
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• 2003

Among silkworm diseases, white muscardine is the most virulent and contagious disease caused by Beauveria bassiana and common during winter and rainy seasons. The disease is managed at present by practicing the silkworm body and rearing seat disinfection to prevent the spread of white muscardine during silkworm rearing as the available methods do not cure the silkworms against white muscardine. The use of systemic fungicide was suggested recently to control white muscardine. The present study investigated the practicability of application aspect of systemic fungicide as spray, It is observed that 3 times feeding of systemic fungicide through mulberry leaf, fed immediately after third, fourth moult and on $4^{th}$ day of final instar as most effective in suppressing the multiplication of the fungus in silkworm. Spraying of the systemic fungicide on mulberry in the rearing house, air-dried and feeding was suggested as suitable application method. Alternately the spraying of the systemic fungicide on mulberry in mulberry garden 6 hrs prior to feeding was also suggested as a method for the control of white muscardine in silkworm rearing.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2024

The value of silkworms as functional health food materials has increased, as has the interest in its disease control for stable production, and in the economic value of entomopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we isolated and identified disease-causing fungi from white muscardine silkworms, and confirmed whether this strain could produce white muscardine silkworms. For the analysis of the cause of white muscardine disease in the infected silkworms, the fungi and prokaryotes causing the disease were identified, isolated, and identified using metagenome analysis. Metagenomic analysis detected a large amount of the fungus Metarhizium rileyi in silkworms, and a large amount of the bacterium Enterococcus mundtii, which was presumed to be the causative agent of the disease. For accurate identification of the fungi, these were purified by culture medium, and sequencing and phylogenetic tree analyses were performed using an internal transcribed spacer. As a result, M. rileyi, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and C. tenuissimum were identified. In general, M. rileyi is known to form green conidia, but in this study, white-yellow conidia were formed, indicating that the exact causative agent of the fungal disease cannot be estimated by diagnosing the symptoms. Thus, a diagnostic method is necessary for the continuously collection of required pathogens, and identifying their morphological and genetic characteristics.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2007

White Muscardine is the most common fungal disease of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. caused by the pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to screen locally available medicinal/ weed plants against Beauveria bassiana. Among the plant extracts (PE) tested, 5% aqueous crude extract of the bulb of Allium sativum (Garlic) has been found to be most effective against Beauveria bassiana. The radial growth of Beauveria bassiana in vitro was inhibited to the tune of 54.9% in aqueous extract and 54.4% in ethanolic extract of Allium sativum and correspondingly mycelial dry weight gave rise to 110.7 mg and 108.7 mg against 201.7 mg in control 15 days post treatment. Similarly, silkworm larvae topically inoculated with the Beauveria bassiana conidia ($1.8{\times}10^6/ml$) registered survival up to 53.0% against 0.0% in control after treatment with aqueous extract of Allium sativum. Simultaneously, as a preventive measure, silkworm larvae were put to rear in conidia contaminated seat paper instantly treated with aqueous extract of Allium sativum that also increased survival up to 61.0% against 4.6% in control. It is also observed that the plant extract is absolutely innocuous to silkworm.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 2002

Two systemic fungicides, SF1 (Bavistin, a carbandazim fungicide 50% WP, Rallis India ltd., India) and SF2 (Bayleton 25% WP-Triadiamefon, a Triazole compound, Rallis India Ltd., India) were screened for control of muscardine disease in silkworm, Bombyx mori. One and two percent of SF1 and 0.05 and 0.1 % of SF2 in aqueous solution were found to be effective in in vivo condition for the control of the disease. These fungicides, on feeding through mulberry leaves continuously for two days to 4$^{th}$ and 5$^{th}$ instar silkworm larvae inoculated topically with conidia of Beauveria bassiana (4$\times$10$^{6}$ conidia/ml) resulted in reduction in mortality due to muscardine by over 90% as against 100% mortality in inoculated control. SF1 at 1% reduced the mortality by 90% in 4$^{th}$ instar and 91% in final instar silkworm while at 2%, the reduction was 92% and 96%, respectively. SF2 at 0.05 and 0.1 % concentration reduced the mortality by 82 and 88% during 4$^{th}$ instar and by 88 and 92% during 5$^{th}$ instar, respectively.