Metarhizium flavoviride var. minus, var. nov., a pathogen of plant- and leafhoppers on rice in the Philippines and Solomon Islands

Abstract

Metarhizium flavoviride Gams and Rozsypal var. minus var. nov. is described from the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stal (Homoptera, Delphacidae), on rice in the Philippines and the Solomon Islands and from the zig-zag leafhopper, Recilia dorsalis (Motschulsky) (Homoptera, Cicadellidae), in the Philippines. The new variety has also been collected on a grasshopper in the Galapagos Islands. The conidia of the new variety are smaller (mostly 4.5-7 .times. 2-3 .mu.m) and more consistently ellipsoidal to ovoidal than those of M. flavoviride var. flavoviride [(6.5-)7-9[-11] .times. 4.5-5.5 .mu.m]. The new variety may form synnemata in culture.