Assays were conducted to assess the number of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. conidia on Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Nezara viridula (L.) and Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) corpses maintained at different levels of relative humidity (RH) (75%, 80%, 85%, 90% and 100%) and temperatures (22°C, 26°C, 30°C and 34°C) 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 of RH and during 10 days, mathematical equations were developed to estimate the number of conidia 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
Insecta; Nezara viridula; Diatraea saccharalis; Piezodorus guildinii; inoculum; entomopathogenic fungi
