Sublethal Effects of IBeauveria bassiana/I Strain BEdy1 on the Development and Reproduction of the White-Backed Planthopper, ISogatella furcifera/I

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important food crop all over the world, while white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is an important pest causing rice yield reduction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the sublethal effects of strain BEdy1 Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) on S. furcifera using the two-sex life table analytical method, compare the life tables of the F[sub.0] and F[sub.1] generations of WBPHs which were treated with sublethal concentrations (LC[sub.10], LC[sub.25]) of B. bassiana BEdy1 with a control group. The results showed that the duration of the egg, 4th-instar and 5th-instar nymph, pre-adult, total pre-oviposition (TPOP) and mean generation time (T) for the LC[sub.25] treatment were significantly longer than those of the control and LC[sub.10] treatment. However, the duration of the adult, the longevity of male and female adults and the oviposition days of female adults for the LC[sub.25] treatment were significantly shortened. The fecundity of female adults, intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R0) and finite rate of increase (λ) for the LC[sub.25] treatment were significantly decreased compared with those of other treatments. The duration of the egg and pre-adult stage for the LC[sub.10] treatment were longer than those of the control group, but the population parameters showed no significant difference. Therefore, the LC[sub.25] of B. bassiana BEdy1 can inhibit the population growth of S. furcifera.