Diversity of Entomopathogenic Fungi in the Kerala Part of the Western Ghats

A survey carried out in the Kerala part of the Western Ghats revealed high diversity of entomopathogenic fungi. A total of 401 fungi were identified from 341 insect cadavers during the study period of which 316 fungi were collected from moist deciduous forests (MDF) and 85 from teak plantations. Fungi were isolated from insects belonging to 10 orders with the highest isolations from the order Lepidoptera (120). Fifty eight species of fungi belonging to 24 genera were identified. Cadavers collected from MDF and teak plantations yielded 52 and 29 species respectively. Majority of the identified species belonged to the class Deuteromycotina. The overall abundance of entomogenous fungi was less in both MDF and teak plantations as indicated by rank abundance plots. Overlapping k-dominance curves showed the shift of dominance relative to species richness of fungi between the forest circles of both MDF and teak plantations. Rarefaction analysis for species richness showed that more species could be collected, if the sampling process had continued. The diversity of fungi was high in MDF compared to teak plantations. Diversity was high for northern and central forest circle of MDF and teak plantations respectively. Individual abundance and species abundance of fungi was high during the wet period. The fungi identified included commercially important and medically useful species.