Each larva was injected with approximately 22,000 viable STA171 and C51 spores, and 48,000 living spores of C49.
The results showed that 91% larvae injected with STA171 and 86 % injected with C51
survived 168 h post-inoculation. Larval death due to A. nidulans spores showed non-significant difference (P
= 0.246 and 0.0737 for STA171 and C51 respectively) from control group (Fig. 1). After 168 h of larvae
incubation with spores of strain C49, 80 % larvae survived and the mortality was significant (P = 0.006). Each
larva was infected with approximately 29,000 viable spores of A. flavus that resulted in rapid killing of larvae
as 90 % larvae died within 24 h of post-inoculation. After 24 h of death, a white mycelial mass was observed
penetrating from the inside to the outside of dead larval cuticle. To confirm that these larvae died from fungal
infection, a similar number of heat-treated A. flavus spores were injected. Infection with the heat-killed spores