Microbial control of insects is based on the rational
use of pathogens to maintain environmentally balanced pest
population levels, and Metarhizium anisopliae has been the
most studied and most utilized fungal species for that purpose.
The natural genetic variability of entomopathogenic fungi is
considered one of the principal advantages of microbial insect
control. The inter- and intraspecifi c variability and the genetic
diversity and population structures of Metarhizium and other
entomopathogenic fungi have been examined using ITS-RFLP,
ISSR, and ISSP molecular markers. The persistence of M.
anisopliae in the soil and its possible effects on the structures of
resident microbial communities must be considered when selecting
isolates for biological insect control.