First record on occurrence of Epizootics Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin on Groundnut leaf miner, Aproarema modicella (Deventer)

In Kharif groundnut, in Tirupati region, 100 per cent of groundnut leaf miner population was found mycosed during II FN October and I FN November 2018. The blotches of leaf miner were looked milky white with cadavers protruding from the blotch. Such leaves were carried to the laboratory and fungus from blotchs and cadavers was inoculated onto SDAY. The plates were incubated at 230C. Whitish colonies with green centre sporulation was observed after 5 days. The culture was reinoculated onto plates and slants. After attaining good growth and sporulation( one week), the characters of the fungus was studied. The hyphae, conidiophores, conidiogenous cells (phialides) and conidia were studied. Hyphae aseptate with 8 -9 microns width. Small branches of hyphae ranged 4 – 5 microns in width. Conidiophores are septate and like candle holders at branching. Phialides are cylindrical. Conidia arranged in chains. Two types of conidia, viz., globose and elongated were studied. length of conidia ranged from 10 to 62 microns and width ranged 5 to 44 microns. The fungus was identified as Metarhizium anisopliae var anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin. This is first report on occurrence of Entomopathogenic fungus ( Fungus is Metarhizium anisopliae var anisopliae).