García, S., & Moore, D. 1988 Hirsutella sphaerospora as a potential biocontrol agent of Rastrococcus invadens Williams.. Brighton Crop Protection Conference. Pests and Diseases - 1988. Vol. 3. British Crop Protection Council Thornton Heath xxii + 1265 pp.

Notes: Recently, the pseudococcid Rastrococcus invadens has been accidentally introduced into West Africa where it has become a serious pest of fruit trees and ornamental plants. The entomopathogenic fungus Hirsutella sphaerospora was isolated from dead specimens of the pest collected in Togo. The fungus grew on a variety of simple defined media and produced both conidia and sclerotia. Laboratory trials showed a high level of mortality of R. invadens following inoculation with fragmented mycelia; treated populations of the pseudococcid declined rapidly and subsequent populations also became infected by the fungus. It is concluded that H. sphaerospora appears to be promising for the control of R. invadens.