National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
The present study was done to investigate the histopathological effect of the entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae on Odontotermes obesus using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Adult worker termites were inoculated with 1x109 conidia/ml suspension of the fungi and maintained at 25±1°C temperature and 80 % relative humidity. SEM study showed that when this mitotic (asexual) spore (called conidia) of the fungus came into contact with the body of the termite, they germinated and the hyphae of the fungus that emerged penetrated the cuticle. The hyphal penetration of the fungi through the insect cuticle as well as proliferation formed a dense network of mycelium in the insect cuticle. This fungus also invaded the host through the integument and caused death of the insect. This lethal effect to the insect is very likely to be aided by the production of insecticidal cyclic peptides (destruxins) by the fungus. SEM study revealed that it is a convenient tool to observe the mode of action of entomopathogenic fungi and to observe how they are able to colonize and infect the host.
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