Dataset on the influence of relative humidity on the pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae isolates from Thailand and Malaysia against red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Olivier) adult

Abstract Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a polyphagous insect that caused economic damage in various palm species, particularly coconut plantation in Malaysia. Therefore, entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was being introduced in attempts to control biologically the RPW. The entomopathogenicity of an indigenous (Met-Gra4) and foreign (Met-TH) strains of M. anisopliae isolated from the soil of Malaysia and Thailand, were tested against RPW adults in laboratory bioassays at 50, 70, 90 % relative humidity (RH). Bioassays indicate no significance differences in efficacy between both the conidia of M. anisopliae strains against RPW adults. Met-Gra4 showed the highest efficacy at 90 % RH (LT50 = 6.17 days). However, LT50 only slightly differed from Met-TH (6.33 days; 90 % RH). Scanning el ectron microscopy for the treated RPWs showed that Met-Gra4 (90 % RH) was densely sporulated within the abdomen, while Met-TH can be found mainly across cuticular surface of RPW.