An. Rᵫ. Enoo. 1978. 23:409-42
Cyrigh 1978yAnnlReviesIn. Allrighsreserve
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
OF INSECT PESTS
BY ENTOMOGENOUS FUNGI
. Ferron
InsuNaionadelaReereAgronoiqueSaionde Reeresde ue
Biologique, LaMinire 78 Vrsaills, Franc
+6160
nspiteofthereentadvancesininsectpatholog,thestudofmcosescausedb
entomogenousfungihasheldarelativelymodestposition.Themajorresearchefort
hasbeendirectedtowardthestudyofbacteriaandviuseswhose potentalitiesas
biological conrol agents for the microbial control of insect pests of crops were
consideredtobegreater.hisattitudeprobabycanbeexpainedbytheincreasein
ourknowledgeofgeneralmicrobiology,especiallymedical,withmoreemphasisin
thefields ofbacteriology and virology than in mycology.
However,forthepast 15 years,researchwiththeentomogenousfungihasbene
ted fromarenewedinterest, which arosefromabetterunderstandingofthe role
ofnaturalphenomenaintheregulationofinsectpopulations,amongwhichepizoot
icscausedbyfungihave played adeterminant part incertain cases. urthermore
therewasaneedtodevelopnewtechniquesofiologicalcontrolfortheexpandig
application ofthe concepts ofintegrated controlĤ
Because ofthis there is an increasing numberofscientiic publication devoted
to this problem. The acquisition ofnew knowledge and the evolution ofresearch
programs are o rapid that itis absolutely necessary to devote an everincreasing
eorttotheanalysisandcompilationofthedatacontainedintheliterature. Since
themaority ofthepublications concerning mycoses in insects are not in English,
theysuerfromalimiteddistribution.AlthoughIcannotpossiblypretendto have
studiedalltheeistingworldliterature conerning thissubectthat haseen pub
lished during the past few years, nevertheless, through direct contact, on various
occasions witCzech, erman, apanese, Polish, Soviet and other coleagues I
have come to realize the importance oftheir contributions and the need to be
acquaintedwththeirworkdespitethebarriersofanguage.Therefore,thepurpose
ofthis paperisanobjectivereviewofboththeresultsachievedinthestudyofthe
pahologyomycosesandthepossibleapplicationofentomogenousfungiinbiologi-
09
0066-4170/78/0101-0409$01.00
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