Abstract
Insecticidal activity of the red pigment produced by a strain of the fungus Beauveria bassiana that was locally isolated from infected whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) was assessed. The pigment is produced extracellularly and is water-soluble. This makes it easy and simple to be recovered from fermentation broth and used in pathogenicity experiments. When applied alone to B. tabaci nymphs, mortality percentages of 18% was recorded. For nymphs treated with B. bassiana spore suspension, mortality was 60%. The best results were obtained when red pigment was combined with fungal spores with the mortality percentage being increased to up to 92%. The highest virulence against adults emerged later on from the surviving larvae of B. tabaci and the longest days to pupation were also recorded with this treatment.