| dc.description.abstract | Cassava (Manihot esculenta CRANTZ) is one of the most important carbohydrate sources after rice and corn. The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus and the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti have been considered as serious pests on cassava plants. The one of their natural enemy is entomophthoralean fungus. This fungus has been found infect mealybug P. marginatus in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. However, there is no any report of this fungus infected on P. manihoti in Indonesia. The objective of this research was to explore entomophthoralean fungus on both P. marginatus and P. manihoti. The research was conducted at Sukaraja Kaum Village, and Kebon Awi Village, from March 2012 to June 2012. The mealybugs were sampled from three blocks for each plant. Each block selected 10 plant samples with cross method. The insect populations were counted from 3 parts of leaf (up-center-down). The insect samples were put on 30 ml vials of 70% alcohol. Microscope squash method was made for both mealybugs with a lactophenol-cotton blue. Populations of both species mealybug showed significantly different. Population and infections level on P. marginatus significantly different, while the population of P. manihoti not significantly different and infection levels of fungi significantly different in the two villages observation. Entomophthorales fungi species that infects both mealybug is N. fumosa. Primary conidia, secondary conidia, hyphal bodies, and saprofitic fungi were found infect on both of mealybug. | en |
