Rula Abu-Jreis, Naim Iraki, Asael Rot, Michael Samish

The pathogenicity of 3 Beauveria bassiana and of 5 Metarhizium anisopliae strains from Israel, Ethiopia and the Palestinian Authority against engorged Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus females and eggs was examined. Two B. bassiana and 4 M. anisopliae strains were found to be highly virulent toward ticks (>50% mortality) regardless of their geographic or host origin. The infection was evidentially transmitted from the females to the eggs they laid, resulting in a reduction of hatching to 0- 12.5% by the virulent strains and 25-50% by the lower virulent strains. Direct inoculation of eggs by all tested strains except one resulted in a complete inhibition of larvae hatching.