Efficacy of Chrysosporium lobatum against larvae of malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi in the laboratory

Chrysosporium lobatum, a deuteromycetous (Deuteromycotina: Moniliales) fungus isolated from soil at Dayalbagh, Agra caused high mortality of Anopheles stephensi larvae in the laboratory. The effectiveness of conidia of C. lobatum against An. stephensi has been evaluated at six different concentrations. The conidia were used for the control of 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-instar larvae of An. stephensi. The LC50 values were calculated by probit analysis. Larvae of 3rd-instar An. stephensi were more susceptible to C. lobatum (0.13 × 103 conidia/ml) than the other instars. It could be a successful tool for controlling malaria vector in tropical climates with more field trials.