Temperature and relative humidity requirements for conidiogenesis of Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromycetes: Moniliaceae).

Assays were conducted to assess the number of Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill. conidia on Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Nezera viridula (L.) and Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pantatormidae) corpses maintained at different levels of relative humidity (RH) (75%, 80%, 90% and 100%) and temperatures (22oC, 26oC, 30oC and 34oC) during five days. The isolates produced conidia when exposed to RH from 75% to 100%. Conidiogenesis was incipient at 75% RH on D.saccharalis larvae, but did not occur on N. viridula and P. guildinii. In ideal conditions od RH and during 10 days, mathematical equations were developed to estimate the number of condia produced by isolates ARSEF 933 and ARSEF 2515. Conidia number were shown to be dependant on RH, temperature, fungal isolate, host species, host stage, and time