Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), consists of genetically diverse species known to cause significant destruction in several crops around the world. Nymphs and adults of B. tabaci cause damage to plants during feeding, and they can act as a virus vector, thus causing significant yield loss to crops in the tropical and subtropical regions. Chemical pesticides are widely used to control B. tabaci due to their immediate action, but this approach has several drawbacks including food safety issues, insecticide resistance, environmental pollution, and the effect on non-target organisms. A biological control agent using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) has therefore been developed as an alternative against the conventional use of chemical pesticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) system to effectively control B. tabaci. It is apparent from this review that species of hyphomycetes fungi are the most common EPF used to effectively control B. tabaci, with the second instar being the most susceptible stage of infection. Therefore, this review article focuses specifically on the control of B. tabaci with special emphasis on the use of EPF as biological control agents and their integration in IPM.

The biological control potential of Paecilomyces spp. against Culex quinquefasciatus was evaluated. Paecilomyces spp. was isolated from soil using the soil suspension method with selective isolation media. Bioassay was made to determine its efficacy against 4th instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. Three different concentrations; 1x106, 1x107 and 1x108 conidia/ml were made and tested. Results showed that, mortality increased as the period of exposure increased and also increased as the conidia concentration increased. The mortality recorded in lowest dose of 106 conidia/ml was 50%, and again 70% mortality was recorded at dose of 107 conidia/ml. Whereas highest dose level of 108 conidia/ml caused high mortality of up to 80%. The lethal concentration causing 50% mortality (LC50) of 4th instars larvae of C. quinquefasciatus was also varied according to concentration of spores and duration of exposure. The result showed that LC50 values of Paecilomyces spp. isolate were 5.3×108, 3.8 x 107, 2.0 x 106 and 2.3 x 107 conidia/ml after 24, 48, 72 and 96 Hours exposure respectively. These results indicated that Paecilomyces spp. isolated was pathogenic to immature stage of C.quinquefasciatus and could be suggested for development as a biological control for mosquitos’ management.

Malaria vector control primarily relies on insecticides to kill vectors. However, the rising concern of insecticide resistance in vector populations and the environmental health risk pose significant challenges to this approach. Therefore, this study is determined to identify indigenous isolates of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) found naturally infecting malaria vectors and to test their biological potentials as part of integrated vector management (IVM). Isaria fumosorosea was identified by morphological characterization (macroscopic and microscopic observation) and tested its virulence against larval and adult Anopheles mosquitoes using three different I. fumosorosea conidia concentrations (1×10⁶, 1×10⁷, and 1×10⁸ conidia/mL). The Isaria fumosorosea isolate reduced the population of larvae and adult Anopheles mosquitoes compared to the control treatment. Findings from this study recommend that locally isolated EPF have the potential to be developed as biopesticides in the future to control adult Anopheles mosquitoes.

Fall armyworms, Spodoptera frugiperda (J./E. Smith) are among the most serious insect pests in maize and many other crops, particularly in some Asian countries and sub-Saharan Africa. The study aimed to explores the significance of the biological characters and the management strategies to reduce damage caused by FAW. Understanding this destructive insect pest will guide maize growers and agricultural professionals to develop the most effective and sustainable FAW control methods. The caterpillar fed on the leaves and interferes with pollination and fertilization processes, significantly reducing the yield losses in maize, which was one of the main staple food for most smallholder farmers in Africa. Due to their immediate action, synthetic chemical pesticides were the most conventionally used in the control of FAW, even though this method had many weaknesses, including environmental pollution, food safety concerns, insecticide resistance, and effects on non-target organisms. In recent years, biological control agents (BCAs) have been developed as an alternative to the conventional use of chemical pesticides in integrated pest management (IPM) systems of FAW pests. The present BCAs of FAW were parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogens.