Laboratory techniques used for entomopathogenic fungi

Entomopathogenic fungi in the Order Hypocreales are important pathogens of pest and beneficial insects. Entomopathogenic Hypocreales have one of the widest spectra of host ranges among entomopathogens and, as such, many have been commercialized as biopesticides. Traditionally, classical microbiological methods have been used to isolate and identify hypocrealean fungi. While classical methods are still heavily utilized, the application of molecular methods, alone or in combination with classical methods, have provided valuable insights into the biology of entomopathogenic Hypocreales. In this chapter, we provide an overview of both classical and molecular techniques used to study entomopathogenic hypocrealean fungi. Due to the diversity of entomopathogenic fungi and the very wide range of hosts that they infect, we provide information in the form of generalizations as well as via specific examples. In many cases, readers will need to adapt these techniques to their specific requirements.