The entomopathogenic fungi are widely used as a biocontrol agent against many insect pests. In the present study, strains of Metarhizium were isolated and identified from Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. The taxonomic identity of the isolates was confirmed by molecular data, using (ITS) rDNA gene sequence, and morphology: Metarhizium robertsii and Metarhizium anisopliae. The virulence and the mass conidial production of these strains were compared with two Iranian isolates of Beauveria (B. bassiana and B. varroae) using four different raw substrates (broken rice, broken wheat, green gram, and saw dust) by solid-state fermentation. The M. robertsii strain had the highest total conidial yields obtained after 18 days on broken rice and the least conidial growth was observed on saw dust. For B. bassiana, the highest conidial yields were obtained after 18 days on green gram, and also like to M. robertsii, the least conidial growth was observed on saw dust. The conidia suspension was applied against subterranean termite, Anacanthotermes vagans, at four different concentrations (1×105, 1×106, 1×107, 1×108 conidia/ml-1). The highest mortality rate was obtained from 1×108 conidia/ml-1 for both M. robertsii and B. bassiana. In general, the indigenous isolate of M. robertsii was more virulent than B. bassiana while B. varroae had not effect on termites.

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