Soil and insect cadavers collected from different districts of Punjab, were screened by Galleria bait method for isolation of entomopathogenic fungi. Native fungal isolates along with procured fungal isolates Beauveria bassiana,Metarhizium anisopliae, P. fumosoroseus and Nomureae rileyiwere recorded for morphologicaliy and biochemically characteristics . All these procured and local fungal isolates were evaluated against insect hosts of cole crops namely Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera litura and Pieris brassicae. Among all procured fungal isolates the fungal isolate B. bassiana MTCC 4495 was most effective and among native fungal isolates isolate JS-B5 and GR-B1 were effective .All these entomopathogenic fungal isolates were recorded for their cuticle degrading enzymes activity and maximum enzyme activity was recorded in B. bassiana MTCC 4495 and GR-B1 on sixth day. Scanning electron microscopy of selected fungal isolate was conducted and variation in growth pattern of these entomopathogenic fungi was recorded on surface of Plutella xylostella at different time interval. The results clearly exhibited little but variation in the extent of infection depicted in terms of spore germination on the cuticle post inoculation. Two native potential isolates JS-B5 and GR-B1 were identified as Beauveria bassiana. In vitro experiments were conducted to study the compatibility of eight different pesticides with entomopathogenic fungi and it was concluded that all pesticides treatments had detrimental effect on growth and germination of entomopathogenic fungi. Among all these treatments Spinosad was most compatible pesticide with entomopathogens which exhibited below 37% percent growth inhibition of fungi over control. This was followed by melathion, rogor, triazophos, ethion, propargite, chlorpyrifos and quinalphos respectively. Pesticide quinalphos was most toxic to all entomopathogenic isolates and exhibited maximum more than ninety percent inhibition over control and was not compatible.and thus this study gives choice to farmers and researchers to select insecticide in IPM programme.

Locomotory behaviour of different populations of P. xylostella, S. litura and H. armigera from different regions of Punjab and toxicity of some commonly used insecticides were studied. The order of toxicity of the insecticides evaluated against P. xylostella populations was found to be Chlorantraniliprole > flubendiamide > Spinosad > quinalphos > fenvalrate; for S. litura it was chlorantraniliprole > novaluron > thiodicarb > chlorpyriphos > deltamethrin & for H. armigera was found to be Chlorantraniliprole > Spinosad > Indoxacarb > Chlorpyriphos > Deltamethrin. The distance travelled and speed for the larvae of P. xylostella, S. litura and H. armigera from Ludhiana district was maximum. For P. xylostella it was maximum when allowed to walk on fenvalerate-treated surface, followed by those moved on quinalphos, spinosad, flubendiamide, chlorantraniliprole-treated surfaces. For larvae of S. litura the trend was deltamethrin-treated surface followed by chlorpyriphos, thiodicarb, novaluron, chlorantraniliprole treated surface. For the larvae of H. armigera it was maximum on deltamethrin-treated surface followed by those moved on chlorpyriphos, indoxacarb, spinosad and chlorantraniliprole-treated surfaces. The minimum distance travelled was recorded on the untreated wax-coated paper in 5 minutes. Same trend was observed by larval populations from Kapurthala & Amritsar district population for distance travelled & speed.The turn angle of P. xylostella and S. litura larval population from Amritsar district was significantly higher as compared to those from Kapurthala followed by Ludhiana district. For P. xylostella from Amritsar district trend was chlorantraniliprole-treated surface followed by those moved on flubendiamide, spinosad, quinalphos, fenvalerate-treated surfaces. For Ludhiana district turn angle of larve was maximum when allowed to walk on chlorantraniliprole-treated surface followed by those moved on flubendiamide, spinosad, quinalphos and fenvalerate-treated surfaces. For S. litura from Amritsar district trend was chlorantraniliprole-treated surface followed by those moved on novaluron, thiodicarb, chlorpyriphos and deltamethrin-treated surfaces. For Ludhiana district turn angle of larve was maximum when allowed to walk on chlorantraniliprole-treated surface, followed by those moved on novaluron, thiodicarb, chlorpyriphos, deltamethrin-treated surfaces. The turn angle of H. armigera larval population from Ludhiana district was maximum when allowed to walk on chlorantraniliprole-treated surface, followed by those spinosad, indoxacarb, chlorpyriphos and deltamethrin-treated surfaces. For larval populations from Amritsar district trend was chlorantraniliprole-treated surface followed by those moved on spinosad, indoxacarb, chlorpyriphos and deltamethrin-treated surfaces. The minimum turn angle was recorded for untreated surface for both the populations.Certain locomotory behavioural variations has been determined and pronounced behavioural differences were registered in the different populations of P. xylostella, S. litura and H. armigera. The more resistant larvae travelled less distance on insecticide-treated/untreated surface with higher value of turn angle whereas, less resistant larvae moved fast with lesser turn angle. This indicates that inter-population variation might reflect differences in insects’ sensory perception of insecticides and could lead to development of behavioural resistance if such differences are inheritable. Hence locomotory behaviour plays a crucial role in resistance development. Also, this knowledge may help to find management solutions to these serious lepidopterous pests. Thus, locomotion plays a major role in determining insecticide exposure and should always be considered in investigating the behavioural responses of different insect pests.