Abstract:With the objective of determining cellular defense response of Ostrinia furnacalis to Beauveria bassiana, the dynamic changes of total hemocyte count in host larvae were studied after injection with different doses of blastospores. Meanwhile, the encapsulation responses were observed for the hemocytes in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the total hemocyte count declined to the minimum 0.25 h after injection, and increased subsequently for all treatments. The total hemocyte count was higher 24 h after injection with 102 or 103 blastospores per larva than that of control. However, the total hemocyte count was lower 24 h after injection with 104 or 105 blastospores than that of control. For the larvae in vivo, the hemocytes adhered to the surface of B.bassiana blastospores, and cellular encapsulation occurred. The hemocytes in vivo exhibited faster and stronger encapsulation activity against blastospores compared with those in vitro. The results indicated that O.furnacalis larvae had strong cellular defense response to the entomopathogenic fungus, B.bassiana.