Control of the pasture scarab Adoryphorus couloni with Metarhizium anisopliae

The redheaded cockchafer, Adoryphorus couloni, is a serious pasture pest of south-eastern Australia. No chemical insecticides are registered for use against A. couloni. Investigations into the biological control of this pest using the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, covered three main areas. The first of these were laboratory studies on the affect of both spore concentration and temperature on the virulence of the fungus. Secondly, field experiments were established to determine the short-term and long-term biocontrol. Finally, an environmental study examined the influence of abiotic factors on the distribution and abundance of the natural M. anisopliae flora in pasture soils.