Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 10 3 2016 06 18 337 348 EN Mona Sharififard Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran Mohammad Saeed Mossadegh Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Chamran Univercity, Ahvaz, Iran Babak Vazirianzadeh Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran AND Department of Medical Entomology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Seyed Mahmood Latifi Department of Statics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran 2015 10 14 2015 10 14 Background: Considering to the high distribution of cockroaches as urban pests, the efficacy of different formula­tions of Metarhizium anisopliae strain Iran 437C were assessed against the brown-banded cockroach, Supella longi­palpa F. under laboratory and field conditions. Methods: Metarhizium anisopliae isolates were screened with immersing adults of the brown-banded cockroachs in aqueous suspension of 108 conidia ml-1 followed by surface or bait treated with different doses of the most virulent isolate against the nymphs. Then formulations of conidia oil-in-water were examined versus cockroach nymphs us­ing different plant oils and paraffin. Then they were evaluated and compared with aqueous suspension and control group. On a large-scale, the sunflower oil-in-water formulation of conidia was sprayed at houses using a hand sprayer. Results: Metarhizium anisopliae IRAN 437C was the most virulent isolate against the brown-banded cockroach, causing 100% mortality in adults at seven days post-exposure. Inoculated bait with this isolate was not enough path­ogenic against the cockroach even at two weeks after treatment. Treated surface with conidia as aqueous suspension or oil-in- water formulation was more effective than the bait formulation against the cockroach caused 39.4–97.2% mortality compared with 2.5% mortality in control group after two days. Spraying the conidia formulated with sun­flower oil was an effective formulation causing 76.1% reduction in the cockroach density on the third day post treatment in the houses. Conclusion: The oil-in-water formulation of M. anisopliae IRAN 437C could be recommended as a promising al­ternative for cockroach control.   https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/175 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/175/158