Assessment of Genotoxic Potential of Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae Using Acrida turrita L. (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as a Model

Abstract

The adverse effect of fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on the morphology of male meiotic chromosomes of grasshopper Acrida turrita was studied. Significant increase in the induction of aberrations as sickness, clumping pseudobridges, laggards, polyploid cells, extra element and stretching was manifested in treated grasshoppers as compared to control. Both the fungi induced a dose and time dependent increase in the number of chromosome aberrations. The frequency of production of percentage aberrations by B. bassiana in grasshopper was 6.50, 6.56, 7.24 with 10%, 7.12, 7.60, 8.16 with 20%, 9.45,10.04,10.25 with 30% after 6, 8, 10 hours respectively and 4.24, 5.60, 5.54 with 10%, 6.51, 6.98, 9.10 with 20% and 7.51, 8.21, 10.25 with 30% at 6, 8, 10 hours respectively by M. anisopliae.