Lecanicillium Lecanii Manufacturer & Exporter | Biocontrol | Microbial Species

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Lecanicillium lecanii

Effective against greenhouse whitefly by penetrating their cuticle, disabling or killing them.

Strength

1 x 10⁸ CFU per gram / 1 x 10⁹ CFU per gram / 1 x 10¹⁰ CFU per gram

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Benefits

Long-term efficacy

Provides sustainable pest control without inducing resistance in pest populations.

Effective mode of action

Penetrates insect cuticles to disable and kill nymphs and adults.

Environmentally friendly

Lecanicillium lecanii is safe for the environment and non-target organisms.

High specificity

Targets greenhouse whiteflies and various aphid species effectively.

Scientific References

A mode of action unrelated to conventional insecticide chemistry

L. lecanii kills by direct cuticle penetration and internal colonization, not by ingestion or nerve-target toxicity. Ultrastructural work on an infected mealybug showed conidia attaching to the cuticle, germinating, penetrating through appressoria or hyphae, and then progressively destroying the cuticle, trachea, fat body, muscle, Malpighian tubules and nerve ganglion from the inside, with the insect eventually fully colonized by mycelium [3]. Two enzyme families are consistently identified as the tools behind that process: extracellular chitinases, which break down the chitin of the insect cuticle, and proteases, which are described as important virulence factors of entomopathogenic fungi generally [10]. Because this mechanism shares no target site with synthetic insecticide classes, rotating a biological into an insecticide program is a genuinely different mode of action, which is useful for resistance management rather than simply a different molecule acting the same way.

Works with sap-feeding pests that are hard to reach with contact chemistry

Whiteflies and aphids reproduce quickly and concentrate on leaf undersides and new growth, conditions that favor a living, spreading pathogen able to persist and re-infect on the leaf surface rather than a single contact event. The species has repeatedly ranked as the strongest performer among screened entomopathogenic fungi specifically against green peach aphid and cotton aphid, achieving control values near 100% within days under favorable humidity [2].

Reduced dependence, honestly stated

Used within an integrated program, a microbial insecticide can reduce how often broad-spectrum chemistry is needed against whitefly and aphid pressure. What it does not do is remove the need for monitoring or, under high pest pressure or dry conditions, other intervention. Field performance depends on humidity, temperature, coverage, pest life stage and species, and on fungicide residues already present in the spray program — a routine fungicide application can undercut this product's own effectiveness, which is a genuine trade-off growers running mixed spray programs need to plan around [4].

What is not yet supported by the evidence reviewed here

No published data specific to L. lecanii and common IPM beneficial insects or predatory mites was located in this research pass (see FAQ 7 and open item 6). We would rather state that gap plainly than imply a "safe for beneficials" claim the evidence does not yet support.

Additional Info

What this organism is

Lecanicillium lecanii is an entomopathogenic fungus — a fungus whose natural hosts are insects — used as a microbial ingredient in biological insecticide products. It occurs naturally in soil and in insect populations, most commonly infecting soft-bodied, sap-feeding Hemiptera such as whiteflies, aphids, scale insects and mealybugs.

A name with a history — read alongside the FAQ below

This organism has been published under three names over the past several decades: Verticillium lecanii, Lecanicillium lecanii, and, in current molecular phylogenetic treatments, Akanthomyces lecanii. All three refer to the same fungus; the name changes reflect improving methods for resolving fungal relationships, not a different organism. The taxonomic history is set out in FAQ 1 and FAQ 2 below. IndoGulf BioAg retains the name given in the current approved product specification — Lecanicillium lecanii — consistent with project policy of flagging a taxonomic change rather than silently altering a label; see open item 3.

Documented host range

Evidence quality varies by pest group. The table below separates strong, direct evidence from weaker or boundary-marked evidence.

Pest group	Example species studied	Evidence
Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae)	Bemisia tabaci Q-biotype	All nymphal instars died following exposure to 1 × 10⁷ conidia/mL; 2nd-instar nymphs were most susceptible (82.22% corrected mortality), followed by 3rd-instar nymphs (75.55%) [1]
Aphids (Aphididae)	Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii)	A screened strain (41185) achieved control values near 100% within 2–5 days at 25°C / 75% RH, the strongest performer among 12 fungal strains from 6 genera tested [2]
Aphids (Aphididae)	Citrus black aphid (Toxoptera aurantii)	Chitinase, a virulence-associated enzyme, was confirmed to drive infection speed and dose response in three L. lecanii strains [5]
Aphids (Aphididae)	Mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi)	Documented host in studies on plant-volatile effects on fungal pathogenicity [6]
Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae)	Ash mealybug (Phenacoccus fraxinus)	Full infection sequence documented by electron microscopy, from cuticle attachment through colonization of internal organs [3]
Gall thrips (Thysanoptera)	Gynaikothrips uzeli	Nymphs and adults susceptible; toxicity was substantially higher when the host plant had been pre-treated with a sublethal dose of the insecticide imidacloprid, which suppressed the thrips' humoral immune response [7]
Adelgids (Adelgidae)	Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae)	One of several fungal species/isolates screened; in that screen, two Beauveria bassiana isolates and one Metarhizium anisopliae isolate gave significantly higher efficacy against the adelgid than the other isolates tested, illustrating that performance is isolate- and host-specific rather than guaranteed by species identity alone [8]

Host range is not unlimited, and L. lecanii is not always the top-performing option even within Hemiptera. In a screen for control of the pink hibiscus mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus), L. lecanii and Isaria fumosoroseus isolates grew best at cooler temperatures (15–20°C), but the greatest mortality of the target pest was achieved by Metarhizium anisopliae isolates, which grew best at 25–30°C [9]. Susceptibility and comparative performance have to be established for the specific pest, crop and climate you are targeting, not assumed from the organism's general reputation as an entomopathogen.

Why strain identity matters

Published work on this species consistently studies named strains — 41185, JMC-01, V3450, Vl6063, Vp28, and others — because performance is not uniform across the species. Chitinase expression level alone measurably changed both the lethal dose and the lethal time of three different L. lecanii strains against the same aphid host [5]. Published results for one strain do not establish the same performance for another; see open item 4 on supplying the production strain designation.

Formulation and storage

Formulations: wettable powder (1 × 10⁸ CFU/g) and soluble powder (1 × 10⁹ CFU/g and 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g)
Packaging: tailor-made to customer requirement
Shelf life: [SOURCE REQUIRED — the "stable within 1 year" figure used elsewhere on the site needs its own packaging, storage conditions, test method and acceptance limit before it is repeated here; see open item 5]
Storage: cool, dry conditions, out of direct sunlight, away from fungicides and disinfectants; do not store prepared spray solution for more than 24 hours

Because this is a living organism, storage and transport conditions directly determine how many viable propagules reach the field. Heat, sunlight and contact with fungicide residues during storage or transport all reduce viable counts.

Where it fits

Lecanicillium lecanii is used as a component of an integrated pest-management program alongside monitoring, cultural practice, and — where appropriate — other control tactics on a resistance-management schedule. It is not positioned as a stand-alone replacement for every insecticide application, and its performance is conditional on humidity, temperature, coverage and pest life stage, as set out above.

Dosage & Application

Sections drafted: Dosage & Application · Additional Info · Scientific References · Sustainability Advantage · Priority FAQ (9 questions, as requested) Status: DRAFT FOR TECHNICAL AND REGULATORY REVIEW. DO NOT PRINT OR DISTRIBUTE. The current approved market-specific label and registration dossier govern.

Dosage & Application

Rates below reflect the formulation grades currently listed on the product page (1×10⁸, 1×10⁹ and 1×10¹⁰ CFU/g). Confirm every figure against the current approved market-specific label before publication — see open items 1 and 2.

Application rates

Formulation	Potency	Foliar rate	Soil application	Water volume	Frequency
Wettable powder	1 × 10⁸ CFU/g	2 kg/acre (5 kg/hectare)	2–5 kg/acre (5–12.5 kg/hectare)	Sufficient for full coverage of the infested plant part	Two applications per season for long-duration crops (pre- and post-monsoon)
Soluble powder	1 × 10⁹ CFU/g	200 g/acre (500 g/hectare)	200–500 g/acre (500 g–1.25 kg/hectare)	Sufficient for full coverage of the infested plant part	Two applications per season for long-duration crops
Soluble powder (high potency)	1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g	Technical powder - Generally not used in the field at this concentration	-	—	—

Rates on registered labels are set per market and per crop; the table above is the rate structure currently published on the site, not a substitute for the approved label in your target market.

When to apply

Lecanicillium lecanii is a living fungus. It has to land on the pest, germinate, and penetrate the cuticle before it does anything — so timing is a decision about pest stage and canopy humidity, not a fixed calendar date.

Target the young stages. Susceptibility is not uniform across the pest's life cycle. In whitefly, second-instar nymphs were the most susceptible life stage tested, followed by third-instar nymphs, in a study on Bemisia tabaci Q-biotype [1]. Scout for nymphs and time the first application to when young nymphs are present rather than waiting for visible adult flight activity.
Spray into humid conditions, not a dry spell. Every step of infection — conidial attachment, germination, cuticle penetration — is a moisture-dependent process on an exposed leaf surface. Published screening of entomopathogenic fungi for aphid control found the highest virulence of a L. lecanii strain at 75% relative humidity and 25°C, with control values near 100% within two to five days; the same strain still outperformed the other fungi tested at a lower 45% RH, but humidity remained a first-order variable in every trial in that study [2]. Early morning or evening application, when leaf surfaces retain moisture longest, is preferable to a midday spray into low humidity.
Match temperature to the biology. L. lecanii is mesophilic, with optimum growth around 25°C and conidial germination reported across a broad 15–30°C range; one screened strain was also able to germinate at 35°C, wider than several other isolates tested in the same study [2]. Very cool or very hot spray windows will slow both germination and pest kill.
Do not expect a fast knock-down. Infection is a multi-day process. In an ultrastructural study on the mealybug Phenacoccus fraxinus, conidia had attached and begun penetrating the cuticle by 24 hours, and internal tissues (fat body, trachea, muscle, nerve tissue) were being colonized by 48 hours [3]. Assess results several days after application, not the next day.
Repeat applications as monitoring data requires, and follow the biannual (pre- and post-monsoon) pattern shown above for long-duration crops.

Mixing and spray preparation

Prepare the spray fresh and use it within 24 hours of mixing.
Keep the spray tank out of direct sun while mixing and during application; sunlight and desiccation both reduce propagule viability on the leaf surface.
Agitate continuously so the suspension does not settle.
Treat fungicides as incompatible unless a specific test says otherwise. L. lecanii is a fungus, and it has been documented as highly sensitive to fungicide chemistry. In a 2023 study, wild-type Akanthomyces (Lecanicillium) lecanii strains were sensitive to the triazole fungicide tebuconazole at agriculturally recommended field doses; the authors had to develop UV-mutagenized, fungicide-resistant strains specifically because the wild-type organism was not tolerant of it [4]. This is the single most important compatibility caution on this page — clean the tank of fungicide residues before loading, and do not tank-mix with a fungicide unless it has been tested against the specific product batch.
Check spray-water pH, hardness and residual chlorine against the label requirements; chlorinated water can reduce propagule viability in microbial products generally.

Coverage

Whiteflies and aphids cluster on the underside of leaves and around new growth. Direct the spray at the underside of the canopy and the growing points, not just the top of the plant. Coverage failure — spraying the upper canopy while the pest colonizes leaf undersides — is one of the most common reasons a biological insecticide underperforms in the field.

Before scale-up

Any rate not printed on a registered label for your market is a starting point for controlled trial design, not a registered label recommendation. Confirm compatibility, viability after mixing, plant safety and performance on a small block before commercial use.

Results may vary with pest species, life stage, crop, canopy, climate, application method, water quality and management. Use only in accordance with the current product label and local requirements.

FAQ

Is Lecanicillium lecanii now called Akanthomyces lecanii?

In current molecular phylogenetic taxonomy, yes, in most published treatments. A 2017 systematic revision of the fungal family Cordycipitaceae, based on multi-gene phylogenetic analysis, resolved competing genus names across this group of insect-associated fungi. The authors proposed retaining nine generic names — including Akanthomyces and Cordyceps — and rejected eight others as synonyms to be absorbed into the retained names [11]. Following that framework, species previously placed in Lecanicillium are now generally referred to under Akanthomyces, and major biomedical and taxonomic databases index "Lecanicillium lecanii" and "Akanthomyces lecanii" as names for the same taxonomic concept.

Practical note: naming in applied entomology and the biopesticide trade often lags behind formal mycological revisions by years, and both names remain in active use in the literature and on commercial labels. IndoGulf BioAg retains Lecanicillium lecanii as the name in the current approved product specification. Any change to the name used in labeling or marketing is a regulatory and QA decision, not an editorial one — see open item 3.

Is Lecanicillium lecanii the same fungus as Verticillium lecanii?

Yes. Verticillium lecanii (Zimmermann) was the name under which this fungus was known for most of the 20th century. The genus Verticillium, as historically defined, was a large "form genus" that grouped together many fungi later shown by molecular methods not to be closely related to one another. Phylogenetic work on the Verticillium complex — including the studies establishing the close relationship between Verticillium-affiliated taxa and the genus Lecanicillium — supported splitting that form genus into several natural, molecularly-defined groups [12][13]. The entomopathogenic species formerly known as Verticillium lecanii was moved into the genus Lecanicillium, becoming Lecanicillium lecanii — the same organism, reclassified as molecular evidence clarified true evolutionary relationships. As above, current phylogenetic work places it in Akanthomyces.

Which pests can Lecanicillium lecanii control besides greenhouse whitefly?

Published evidence covers several groups of soft-bodied, sap-feeding insects beyond greenhouse whitefly:

Aphids — green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), where a screened strain achieved control values near 100% within days [2]; also citrus black aphid (Toxoptera aurantii) [5] and mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) [6]
Mealybugs — infection of the ash mealybug (Phenacoccus fraxinus) has been documented in detail at the cellular level [3]
Gall thrips — Gynaikothrips uzeli nymphs and adults [7]
Adelgids — hemlock woolly adelgid, though in that particular screening study other fungal species outperformed the L. lecanii isolates tested [8]

Boundary: this is species-level literature across many named strains, crops and geographies, not a claim that IndoGulf BioAg's specific formulation has been trial-tested against every pest listed. See open item 1 on which of these claims a given market's registration will actually support, and open item 4 on strain identity.

How does Lecanicillium lecanii infect whiteflies and aphids?

By direct penetration of the cuticle, followed by internal colonization — not by ingestion.

Electron microscopy of the infection sequence on the mealybug Phenacoccus fraxinus showed conidia adhering to indented grooves and intersegmental folds of the cuticle within 24 hours, then germinating to form germ tubes and appressoria, structures that press into and penetrate the cuticle either directly through hyphae or via specialized penetration pegs. By 48 hours, hyphae had ramified through the body wall and destroyed the cuticle, trachea, fat body, muscle, Malpighian tubules and nerve ganglion; the insect's haemocoel was eventually fully occupied by fungal mycelium, which then grew outward to cover the cadaver [3].

Two enzyme systems drive this process. Chitinases break down chitin in the insect cuticle and are directly linked to virulence: overexpressing chitinase in three different L. lecanii strains measurably lowered both the lethal dose and the lethal time against citrus black aphid [5], and chitinase activity was shown to correlate significantly with virulence against whitefly in a separate study [10]. Extracellular proteases are described in the same literature as an important virulence factor of entomopathogenic fungi generally, alongside chitinases [10].

Which life stages of whiteflies and aphids are susceptible to Lecanicillium lecanii?

For whitefly, direct data exists on nymphal stages. In a study on Bemisia tabaci Q-biotype, all nymphal instars died following exposure to L. lecanii strain JMC-01 at 1 × 10⁷ conidia/mL, but susceptibility was not uniform: 2nd-instar nymphs were the most susceptible (82.22% corrected cumulative mortality), followed by 3rd-instar nymphs (75.55%) [1]. That same study found measurable disruption of the nymphs' detoxifying and protective enzyme systems (carboxylesterase, acetylcholinesterase, peroxidase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase all showed altered activity after infection) and a decline in body water and fat content as infection progressed [1].

For aphids, published efficacy studies report high control values against nymph/adult mixed populations of Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii under favorable conditions [2] but the sources reviewed here do not break control down by aphid instar the way the whitefly study does. Practical implication: scout for and time applications to young nymphal stages where possible, since that is where the strongest documented susceptibility sits for whitefly, and treat aphid life-stage targeting as a reasonable extrapolation rather than a directly demonstrated result until instar-specific aphid data is located.

Why is high relative humidity important for Lecanicillium lecanii?

Because every step of infection — conidial attachment, water uptake, germination, and penetration — happens on an exposed leaf surface and depends on moisture. In a controlled screening study, a L. lecanii strain achieved its highest documented virulence against Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii at 25°C and 75% relative humidity, reaching control values near 100% within two to five days. Virulence was still measurable, and comparatively higher than other tested fungal species, at a lower 45% RH across a 20–30°C range, but 75% RH is where the strongest results in that study were recorded [2].

Practical implication: plan applications for periods of naturally higher humidity — early morning, evening, overcast weather, or protected/greenhouse environments where humidity can be managed — rather than the driest part of the day. This is the same limitation that governs most foliar entomopathogenic fungi, and it is worth stating plainly rather than glossing over, consistent with project policy on agronomic variability.

Can Lecanicillium lecanii be used in greenhouse IPM programs with beneficial insects?

This is an area where the evidence reviewed for this page has a real gap, and we would rather say so than imply a safety claim we cannot support. No published study specific to L. lecanii and the compatibility of common greenhouse biological-control agents — parasitoid wasps such as Encarsia formosa, or predatory mites — was located in this research pass.

What can be said from the broader entomopathogenic fungus literature is that these fungi are not inherently selective for a single target pest; they can, in principle, infect other susceptible arthropods that share the same microhabitat and humidity conditions on the leaf surface. Until strain-specific non-target data is available, the defensible position is: confirm compatibility with your specific natural-enemy program under local conditions before relying on both simultaneously, and avoid direct-contact application onto beneficial insect release sites until that has been done. See open item 6.

Can fungicides reduce the effectiveness of Lecanicillium lecanii?

Yes, and this is one of the better-documented compatibility risks for this organism. L. lecanii is itself a fungus, and a 2023 study found wild-type strains highly sensitive to the triazole fungicide tebuconazole, to the point that the researchers had to specifically develop UV-mutagenized, laboratory-selected resistant strains to work around that sensitivity; those resistant strains needed separate confirmation that their growth, sporulation, enzyme production and virulence against a target pest (green coffee scale, Coccus viridis) were unaffected by the resistance-selection process [4].

Practical implication: the standard, unmodified commercial strain should be treated as fungicide-sensitive by default. Do not tank-mix with fungicides, and leave an interval between a fungicide application and a L. lecanii application, unless compatibility has been specifically confirmed for the products and conditions in use. See the Dosage & Application section above and the compatibility statement standard for IndoGulf BioAg products.

How is Lecanicillium lecanii different from Beauveria bassiana and other entomopathogenic fungi?

They are different genera with overlapping but not identical uses, and neither is universally superior — performance depends heavily on the target pest, strain and environmental conditions.

In a screen of 12 fungal strains across 6 genera (including L. lecanii, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces farinosus, Cordyceps scarabaeicola and Nomuraea rileyi) for control of green peach aphid and cotton aphid, a L. lecanii strain was the strongest performer [2].
In a screen against hemlock woolly adelgid, two B. bassiana isolates and one M. anisopliae isolate significantly outperformed the other fungal isolates tested, including L. lecanii [8].
In a screen against pink hibiscus mealybug, L. lecanii and Isaria fumosoroseus grew best at cooler temperatures (15–20°C), while M. anisopliae grew best at warmer temperatures (25–30°C) and produced the greatest mortality of that specific pest [9].

The practical reading: treat "entomopathogenic fungus" as a mode of action, not a single interchangeable product. L. lecanii has the strongest documented track record among the species reviewed here specifically against whiteflies and aphids under humid conditions; other genera such as Metarhizium and Beauveria have shown comparative advantages against other Hemiptera and in warmer, drier conditions. Selecting the right organism for a given pest and climate is not a detail — it materially changes the result.