SCREENING FOR MOSQUITO LARVICIDAL ACTIVITY OF THAI MUSHROOM EXTRACTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STECCHERINUM SP AGAINST AEDES AEGYPTI (L.) (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE).

For over 50 years, biological control of mosquito larvae has depended mainly on plant extracts, fish, bacteria, protozoa, filamentous fungi, viruses or nematodes. In this study, we screened 143 mushroom samples from 44 confirmed species in Thailand for their mosquito larvicidal activity. One g% (w/v) aqueous extracts of dried powdered mushroom samples were tested against 3rd stage Aedes aegypti larvae. Four mushroom species, namely, Thaeogyroporus porentosus, Xylaria nigripes, Chlorophyllum sp and Steccherinum sp, and two unidentified species showed larvicidal mortality ranging from 10% - 70% and 18% - 90% for 24- and 48-hour exposure time, respectively. Steccherinum sp aqueous crude extract, after 48-hour exposure, did not show any larvicidal activity at 1,000 ppm, whereas that from ethanol, after 24-hour exposure, had 50% and 90% lethal concentration of 203 ppm and 412 ppm, respectively, with higher levels of mortality after 48-hour exposure. This is the first report of mosquito larvicidal properties of Thai mushroom extracts.