Isolation and laboratory evaluation of an indigenous strain of Bacillus sphaericus (9001)

An indigenous strain of Bacillus sphaericus H5a (9001), possessing high insecticidal properties, was isolated from diseased larvae of Culex species. This strain in comparison with the known strains of B. sphaericus, i.e., 1593 and 2362, was found to be promising against the fourth instar larvae of Anopheles culicifacies, An. stephensi, An. subpictus, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. B. sphaericus 9001 is highly stable and virulent through 25 successive transfers and thus can be effectively used as a biocontrol agent against immature stages of mosquitoes.