Growth and sporulation of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae in a basal medium containing various carbohydrate sources

Abstract Naturally occurring isolates of two entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae , pathogenic to the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae , were cultured in flasks of a liquid synthetic culture medium containing one of 22 individual carbohydrate sources to determine growth and sporulation responses. B. bassiana grew best on d -melizitose but sporulated best on d -sucrose, d -trehalose, and d -glucose. M. anisopliae grew best on d -mannose but sporulated best on i -inositol and glycerol. B. bassiana grew least on l -rhamnose but M. anisopliae grew least on d -arabinose. Both fungi sporulated least on d -sorbose. Both fungi utilized d -trehalose, a major component of insect hemolymph.