Entomopathogenic fungi rely on arthropod hosts to
build up population levels of infective stages (mitosporic
conidia). During the cropping season outbreaks of diseases
can regularly be observed in insect populations in the field,
referred to as epizootics. Generally, the development of
epizootics rely on host population dynamics, the number
of infective stages in the pathogen population and the viability
of these, infection efficiency and development
(Anderson and May, 1981) and a complex set of environmental
factors and timing (Inglis et al., 2001). Considerable
information on the biology of the organisms as well as specific
environmental parameters (in time and space) is necessary
to understand and predict the development of
epizootics. Key components of population dynamics of
the entomopathogenic fungi are the build up of the population,
the infection of hosts, and the survival and dispersal
in the environment (Anderson and May, 1981).